Crisis On Infinite Midliveshttp://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com
Comic Geeks Since 1975. Drunken Comic Geeks Since 1993. Get Off Our Lawn.Wed, 14 Mar 2018 22:10:53 +0000en-UShourly1https://wordpress.org/?v=4.9.3http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/CrisisOnInfiniteMidlivesPodcastLogo_1200x1200-55933d68v1_site_icon-32x32.pngCrisis On Infinite Midliveshttp://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com
3232Rob and Amanda, a couple of middle-aged comic book geeks, talk about comic and pop culture news, geek movies and TV, and a few comic books every week. There will also be dirty jokes. Many, many dirty jokes.Crisis On Infinite MidlivesyesCrisis On Infinite Midlivescomedian999@gmail.comcomedian999@gmail.com (Crisis On Infinite Midlives)Copyright by Crisis On Infinite Midlives, 2011 - 2016Comic Geeks Since 1975. Drunken Comic Geeks Since 1993. Get Off Our Lawn.Crisis On Infinite Midliveshttp://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/wp-content/uploads/podcasts/CrisisOnInfiniteMidlivesPodcastLogo_144x144.pnghttp://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com
YesTV-MABoston, MAWeekly79907019Episode 173: The Full Bonaducehttp://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2018/03/14/episode-173-the-full-bonaduce/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2018/03/14/episode-173-the-full-bonaduce/#respondWed, 14 Mar 2018 22:10:51 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=11772Season two of Marvel Studios’s / Netflix’s Jessica Jones dropped late last week, and as with most of Marvel’s / Netflix’s shows, we burned through it in a single weekend binge. And this binge was more enjoyable than the last couple, because for once no one from Crisis On Infinite Midlives threw up while watching the show, and because for the first time in a while Iron Fist was nowhere to be seen. Whether that’s a correlation or a causation deal we will leave up to you.

Season two had a lot to live up to, as we loved the first season’s combined exploration of PTSD and abusive relationships, and its meta examination of what it might really mean to be a companion to Doctor Who. This time around, the show tackles the concepts of different kinds of families, be they biological, adopted or self-created, and how they apparently will always let you down. And it combines it with a meta examination of why Trish Walker is the worst person in the world!

This show was recorded live to tape, with minimal editing. So if you’re looking for a genre podcast where the hosts are excited about the return of congenital, reckless alcoholic Jessica Jones because representation in media matters, well, you’ve come to the right place!

Thanks for listening, suckers!

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2018/03/14/episode-173-the-full-bonaduce/feed/0Season two of Marvel Studios’s / Netflix’s Jessica Jones dropped late last week, and as with most of Marvel’s / Netflix’s shows, we burned through it in a single weekend binge. And this binge was more enjoyable than the last couple,Season two of Marvel Studios's / Netflix's Jessica Jones dropped late last week, and as with most of Marvel's / Netflix's shows, we burned through it in a single weekend binge. And this binge was more enjoyable than the last couple, because for once no one from Crisis On Infinite Midlives threw up while watching the show, and because for the first time in a while Iron Fist was nowhere to be seen. Whether that's a correlation or a causation deal we will leave up to you.<br />
<br />
Season two had a lot to live up to, as we loved the first season's combined exploration of PTSD and abusive relationships, and its meta examination of what it might really mean to be a companion to Doctor Who. This time around, the show tackles the concepts of different kinds of families, be they biological, adopted or self-created, and how they apparently will always let you down. And it combines it with a meta examination of why Trish Walker is the worst person in the world!<br />
<br />
This show was recorded live to tape, with minimal editing. So if you're looking for a genre podcast where the hosts are excited about the return of congenital, reckless alcoholic Jessica Jones because representation in media matters, well, you've come to the right place!Crisis On Infinite Midlivesyes1:30:5511772Episode 172: Embezzly McCokeHabithttp://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2018/02/20/episode-172-embezzly-mccokehabit/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2018/02/20/episode-172-embezzly-mccokehabit/#respondWed, 21 Feb 2018 01:17:10 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=11765With all the excitement and hype surrounding last week’s release of Marvel Studios’s Black Panther, it’s easy to forget that, when the movie was announced as part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Phase Three three and a half years ago, it looked to be nothing but a flick about another mid-tier character just to keep our juices flowing until Infinity War. While we loved Black Panther when he was pulled out of his element in Wakanda and dropped into a gritty pulp action story, his day-to-day adventures at home never set our world on fire, and we were looking far less forward to this than we were, say, Captain Marvel.

Since then, Marvel installed an A-list director who turned the movie into something much more than the half-decent filler in between Avengers movies we initially expected. We saw the movie this weekend (in a local theater packed in a way we haven’t seen since the first Spider-Man movie), and we discuss, in a spoiler-filled way, how we liked it, what worked for us and what didn’t, the worldbuilding and the depth of the character bench, and some of the political commentary we found to be embedded in the film.

We also discuss January 24th’s Doomsday Clock #3, written by Geoff Johns with art by Gary Franks. This is the third issue in the DCU / Watchmen universe crossover, and we go into it in depth in a segment which we’re beginning to refer to, here at the Crisis On Infinite Midlives Home Office, as “Dr. Manhattan Can’t Do That, Dammit!”

This show was recorded live to tape, with minimal editing. So if you’ve been looking for a comics podcast where one of the hosts wants to move to Wakanda so they can find someone competent to program their Nest thermostat, you’ve come to the right place.

Thanks for listening, suckers!

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2018/02/20/episode-172-embezzly-mccokehabit/feed/0With all the excitement and hype surrounding last week’s release of Marvel Studios’s Black Panther, it’s easy to forget that, when the movie was announced as part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Phase Three three and a half years ago,With all the excitement and hype surrounding last week's release of Marvel Studios's Black Panther, it's easy to forget that, when the movie was announced as part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe's Phase Three three and a half years ago, it looked to be nothing but a flick about another mid-tier character just to keep our juices flowing until Infinity War. While we loved Black Panther when he was pulled out of his element in Wakanda and dropped into a gritty pulp action story, his day-to-day adventures at home never set our world on fire, and we were looking far less forward to this than we were, say, Captain Marvel.<br />
<br />
Since then, Marvel installed an A-list director who turned the movie into something much more than the half-decent filler in between Avengers movies we initially expected. We saw the movie this weekend (in a local theater packed in a way we haven't seen since the first Spider-Man movie), and we discuss, in a spoiler-filled way, how we liked it, what worked for us and what didn't, the worldbuilding and the depth of the character bench, and some of the political commentary we found to be embedded in the film.<br />
<br />
We also discuss January 24th's Doomsday Clock #3, written by Geoff Johns with art by Gary Franks. This is the third issue in the DCU / Watchmen universe crossover, and we go into it in depth in a segment which we're beginning to refer to, here at the Crisis On Infinite Midlives Home Office, as "Dr. Manhattan Can't Do That, Dammit!"<br />
<br />
This show was recorded live to tape, with minimal editing. So if you've been looking for a comics podcast where one of the hosts wants to move to Wakanda so they can find someone competent to program their Nest thermostat, you've come to the right place.Crisis On Infinite Midlivesyes1:59:0011765Episode 171: Think Pieces About Underpants: The 2017 Crises Awardshttp://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2018/01/29/episode-171-think-pieces-about-underpants-the-2017-crises-awards/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2018/01/29/episode-171-think-pieces-about-underpants-the-2017-crises-awards/#respondTue, 30 Jan 2018 01:12:36 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=11759We are smack in the middle of awards season, when networks cynically fill their airtime with slapped-together ceremonies celebrating old crap you already know about, all in the hopes that someone will get drunk and start making a damn fool of themselves, all on a short budget.

Or, in other words: welcome to the 2017 Crises Awards!

Last year was one where there were some truly spectacular accomplishments in comics, genre television and movies. And there were also several comics crossover events! So, as we do every year, we carefully account for our favorite, and least favorite, genre material from the past year! And by “carefully account,” we mean “frantically re-read old show notes and dig through unsorted longboxes of comics to remember what the hell we actually read last year!”

We go into the categories of:

Best and Worst comic series or miniseries

Best and Worst single comic issues

Best and Worst comic crossover events

Best genre television

Best genre movie, and

Most and Least anticipated genre entertainments of 2018!

This show was recorded live to tape, with minimal editing. So if you’re looking for an awards show where the only “Lorde” is at the end of the phrase, “Drunk as a,” you’ve come to the right place!

Thank for listening, suckers!

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2018/01/29/episode-171-think-pieces-about-underpants-the-2017-crises-awards/feed/0We are smack in the middle of awards season, when networks cynically fill their airtime with slapped-together ceremonies celebrating old crap you already know about, all in the hopes that someone will get drunk and start making a damn fool of themselve...We are smack in the middle of awards season, when networks cynically fill their airtime with slapped-together ceremonies celebrating old crap you already know about, all in the hopes that someone will get drunk and start making a damn fool of themselves, all on a short budget. <br />
<br />
Or, in other words: welcome to the 2017 Crises Awards!<br />
<br />
Last year was one where there were some truth spectacular accomplishments in comics, genre television and movies. And there were also several comics crossover events! So, as we do every year, we carefully account for our favorite, and least favorite, genre material from the past year! And by "carefully account," we mean "frantically re-read old show notes and dig through unsorted longboxes of comics!"<br />
<br />
We go into the categories of: Best and Worst comic series or miniseries, Best and Worst single comic issues, Best and Worst comic crossover events, Best genre television, Best genre movie, and Most and Least anticipated genre entertainments of 2018!Crisis On Infinite Midlivesyes1:38:3311759Episode 170: Gleek Flings Poohttp://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2018/01/15/episode-170-gleek-flings-poo/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2018/01/15/episode-170-gleek-flings-poo/#respondTue, 16 Jan 2018 00:27:02 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=11753It’s been an speedy week, from the threat of yet another government shutdown, to calling other nations ugly names, to a 30-something minute span where it seemed like a large chunk of the population of Hawaii might be on deck to have a chance at their own Silver Age superhero origin stories. It was the kind of week when you just want to escape into a fat stack of comics books. You know, books about a disintegrating monarchy, the mistreatment of prisoners, and the literal vanishing of the Earth.

Okay, that sounds dire, but there were actually some interesting books this week, including the opening to a new Marvel event (you know, as part of Marvel Legacy! Which was supposed to mean an end to constant events!), a strong and surprisingly intriguing opening for one book’s new creative team… and a Tom King book, which always means some spirited conversation on this show. So we break down a few of the bigger books this week, including:

Mister Miracle #6, written by Tom King with art by Mitch Gerads

Avengers #675 (Part 1 of the No Surrender event), written by Mark Waid, Al Ewing and Jim Zub, with art by Pepe Larraz

Old Man Hawkeye #1, written by Ethan Sacks with art by Marco Checchetto, and

Suicide Squad #33, written by Si Spurrier with art by Fernando Pasarin!

As usual, this show contains spoilers, and was recorded live to tape with minimal editing. So if you’re looking for a comics show that ranges from speculation about meta-narrative in a comic about super villains to a story about one of the hosts eating a bug, you’ve come to the right place!

Thanks for listening, suckers!

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2018/01/15/episode-170-gleek-flings-poo/feed/0It’s been an speedy week, from the threat of yet another government shutdown, to calling other nations ugly names, to a 30-something minute span where it seemed like a large chunk of the population of Hawaii might be on deck to have a chance at their o...It’s been an speedy week, from the threat of yet another government shutdown, to calling other nations ugly names, to a 30-something minute span where it seemed like a large chunk of the population of Hawaii might be on deck to have a chance at their own Silver Age superhero origin stories. It was the […]Crisis On Infinite Midlivesyes1:19:1611753Episode 169: Sports is a Fantastic Album, Selinahttp://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2018/01/08/episode-169-sports-is-a-fantastic-album-selina/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2018/01/08/episode-169-sports-is-a-fantastic-album-selina/#respondTue, 09 Jan 2018 01:27:04 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=11748After a couple of weeks off due to holidays, family travel, blizzards, arctic vortices, and professional obligations, and we’ve moved past holiday genre movies and into the pre-convention season lull. Meaning that until Marvel Studios’ Black Panther drops in about six weeks, there’s nothing to talk but comics.

And frankly, we’re kinda glad about that. Because as much as we like the comics-related visual entertainment, there’s nothing like a good, old-fashioned comic book to make you feel like a kid again. And sometimes, that kid is very, very angry about what has happened to the Watchmen universe.

So we talk about a few of this week’s new books, including:

Batman #38, written by Tom King with art by Travis Moore and Giulia Brusco,

Spider-Man #236, written by Brian Michael Bendis with art by Oscar Bazaldua, and

Justice League #36, written by Priest with art by Pete Woods!

But no calendar can stop Rob from chiming in on a comic book about the character from Watchmen, so we also discuss the December 27th release, Doomsday Clock #2, written by Geoff Johns with art by Gary Frank!

This show was recorded live to tape, with minimal editing. So if you want to find out what the mythical 102nd use for duct tape is (the dirty one), you’ve come to the right show!

Thanks for listening, suckers!

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2018/01/08/episode-169-sports-is-a-fantastic-album-selina/feed/0After a couple of weeks off due to holidays, family travel, blizzards, arctic vortices, and professional obligations, and we’ve moved past holiday genre movies and into the pre-convention season lull. Meaning that until Marvel Studios’ Black Panther dr...After a couple of weeks off due to holidays, family travel, blizzards, arctic vortices, and professional obligations, and we've moved past holiday genre movies and into the pre-convention season lull. Meaning that until Marvel Studios' Black Panther drops in about six weeks, there's nothing to talk but comics.<br />
<br />
And frankly, we're kinda glad about that. Because as much as we like the comics-related visual entertainment, there's nothing like a good, old-fashioned comic book to make you feel like a kid again. And sometimes, that kid is very, very angry about what has happened to the Watchmen universe.<br />
<br />
So we talk about a few of this week's new books, including: Batman #38, written by Tom King with art by Travis Moore and Giulia Brusco, Spider-Man #236, written by Brian Michael Bendis with art by Oscar Bazaldua, and Justice League #36, written by Priest with art by Pete Woods!<br />
<br />
But no calendar can stop Rob from chiming in on a comic book about the character from Watchmen, so we also discuss December 27th, Doomsday Clock #2, written by Geoff Johns with art by Gary Frank!<br />
<br />
This show was recorded live to tape, with minimal editing. So if you want to find out what the mythical 102nd use for duct tape is (the dirty one), you've come to the right show!Crisis On Infinite Midlivesyes1:43:4211748Episode 168: Look at The Porgs, Artoohttp://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2017/12/19/episode-168-look-at-the-porgs-artoo/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2017/12/19/episode-168-look-at-the-porgs-artoo/#respondTue, 19 Dec 2017 13:07:54 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=11735

Star Wars: The Last Jedi, the inarguably most anticipated genre film of 2017 (at least the most anticipated by everyone except Rob) was released last Friday, and based on the box office returns approaching half a billion dollars in four days, it was beloved by nearly everyone on the planet, yes?

Yeah, apparently not. It seems that a movie that takes many of the beats that you’d expect from a Star Wars movie and deliberately tries to do something different with them isn’t for everybody. It’s an interesting popular reaction to a film that is almost universally beloved by professional reviewers. Which we at Crisis At Infinite Midlives are most assuredly not.

So we brought in some help to talk about The Last Jedi, and when it comes to dissecting what works and what doesn’t in a movie marketed largely to young people who are serious about their genre properties, we figured: who better than a pile of stand-up comedians all approaching, if not firmly ensconced, in middle age?

Se we are joined by Boston comedian Greg Boggis and New York comics Benari Poulten and Ross Garmil, who are not only funny people but hardcore genre geeks, to discuss The Last Jedi. We hit everything from the coolest moments, to the character arcs that are more satisfying than those in The Force Awakens, to the subtextual political statements made in the film, to the possible intoxicating properties of the green milk and flora of Ahch-To, to the crippling mental affliction that might be cursing one of the most beloved characters in the franchise. Which is funnier than it sounds.

This is one of the funniest, yest most interesting, episodes we’ve done in a while. However: be warned: this show contains extensive spoilers for Star Wars: The Last Jedi. So if you haven’t seen the movie yet, hi! Nice to meet you! Apparently you’re the one!

Thanks for listening, suckers!

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2017/12/19/episode-168-look-at-the-porgs-artoo/feed/0Star Wars: The Last Jedi, the inarguably most anticipated genre film of 2017 (at least the most anticipated by everyone except Rob) was released last Friday, and based on the box office returns approaching half a billion dollars in four days,Star Wars: The Last Jedi, the inarguably most anticipated genre film of 2017 was released last Friday (at least the most anticipated by everyone except Rob), and based on the box office returns approaching half a billion dollars in four days, it was beloved by nearly everyone on the planet, yes?<br />
<br />
Yeah, apparently not. It seems that a movie that takes many of the beats that you'd expect from a Star Wars movie and deliberately tries to do something different with them isn't for everybody. It's an interesting popular reaction to a film that is almost universally beloved by professional reviewers. Which we at Crisis At Infinite Midlives are most assuredly not.<br />
<br />
So we brought in some help to talk about The Last Jedi, and when it comes to dissecting what works and what doesn't in a movie marketed largely to young people who are serious about their genre properties, we figured: who better than a pile of stand-up comedians all approaching, if not firmly ensconced, in middle age?<br />
<br />
Se we are joined by Boston comedian Greg Boggis and New York comics Benari Poulten and Ross Garmil, who are not only funny people but hardcore genre geeks, to discuss The Last Jedi. We hit everything from the coolest moments, to the character arcs that are more satisfying than those in The Force Awakens, to the subtextual political statements made in the film, to the possible intoxicating properties of the green milk and flora of Ahch-To, to the crippling mental affliction that might be cursing one of the most beloved characters in the franchise. Which is funnier than it sounds. <br />
<br />
This is one of the funniest, yest most interesting, episodes we've done in a while. However: be warned: this show contains extensive spoilers for Star Wars: The Last Jedi. So if you haven't seen the movie yet, hi! Nice to meet you! Apparently you're the one!Crisis On Infinite Midlivesyes1:50:2211735Episode 167: Metallo’s “O” Facehttp://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2017/12/14/episode-167-metallos-o-face/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2017/12/14/episode-167-metallos-o-face/#respondFri, 15 Dec 2017 01:29:54 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=11728Crisis on Earth X, the annual crossover between DCW (Rob swears he will make DCW a thing) shows Supergirl, Arrow, The Flash and DC’s Agents of Tomorrow aired a couple of weeks ago, and while we’re a little late to the conversation, we wanted to discuss it, because it wound up being one of the finest pure comic book superhero stories we’ve ever seen put to screen.

From its oddly unique willingness to embrace depicting legitimate Nazis as pure and legitimate villains (as opposed to Marvel’s recent protestations that Hydra is somehow a completely unrelated paramilitary organization… that worked with Nazis), to its use of a superhero wedding as an excuse for a massive character crossover, to its sci-fi and comics classic use of parallel universe characters, to its creating real mortal stakes for several characters, it was an impressive depiction of classic comics storytelling… and it stood in stark contrast with, say, Justice League.

Please be aware that this show contains spoilers for Crisis on Earth X (as well as some spoilers for subsequent events on DC’s Legends of Tomorrow. Also, this show was recorded live to tape, so if you’re looking for a podcast that pivots into impromptu (and uncompensated) advertisements for Adderall, Ritalin and powerful liquor, you’ve come to the right place!

Thanks for listening, suckers!

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2017/12/14/episode-167-metallos-o-face/feed/0Crisis on Earth X, the annual crossover between DCW (Rob swears he will make DCW a thing) shows Supergirl, Arrow, The Flash and DC’s Agents of Tomorrow aired a couple of weeks ago, and while we’re a little late to the conversation,Crisis on Earth X, the annual crossover between DCW (Rob swears he will make DCW a thing) shows Supergirl, Arrow, The Flash and DC’s Agents of Tomorrow aired a couple of weeks ago, and while we’re a little late to the conversation, we wanted to discuss it, because it wound up being one of the […]Crisis On Infinite Midlivesyes1:10:3111728Episode 166: The World’s Worst Detective, or: Rorschach, Meet Vibehttp://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2017/11/27/episode-166-the-worlds-worst-detective-or-rorschach-meet-vibe/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2017/11/27/episode-166-the-worlds-worst-detective-or-rorschach-meet-vibe/#respondTue, 28 Nov 2017 00:06:17 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=11723Marvel Studios’s latest Netflix series, The Punisher, dropped all at once a couple of weeks ago, and it was, in a lot of ways, very different than the series that have been delivered up until now. Sure, the other series dealt with adult themes – Jessica Jones tackled being a survivor of abuse, Luke Cage dealt with racism, and Iron Fist took on the perils of being a boring rich white guy no one likes – but none of those series featured a protagonist who stabs people in the neck just to watch them die.

So we spend a chunk of the show talking about The Punisher, how it handles themes of PTSD and how war destroys not only soldiers, but also their families… and how those weighty issues map to a story that delivers the cheap thrill of watching Jersey mooks having their legs broken by a man sometimes known as “Shooty Batman.”

But the money of the week is the release of the first issue of Doomsday Clock #1, written by Geoff Johns with art by Gary Frank. This is the real beginning of DC Comics not only sequelizing Alan Moore’s and Dave Gibbons’s Watchmen, but putting characters from the DC Universe onto a collision course with that universe. While we’ve both been enjoying DC: Rebirth, Rob is a huge fan of the original Watchmen, and thus has been DREADING the release of this book. So we break it down, and come to a couple of surprising conclusions.

This episode was recorded live to tape, with minimal editing, so if you’re looking for a podcast where the hosts are pretty convinced they came up with the moniker, “Shooty Batman,” you’ve come to the right place!

Thanks for listening, suckers!

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2017/11/27/episode-166-the-worlds-worst-detective-or-rorschach-meet-vibe/feed/0Marvel Studios’s latest Netflix series, The Punisher, dropped all at once a couple of weeks ago, and it was, in a lot of ways, very different than the series that have been delivered up until now. Sure, the other series dealt with adult themes – Jessic...Marvel Studios’s latest Netflix series, The Punisher, dropped all at once a couple of weeks ago, and it was, in a lot of ways, very different than the series that have been delivered up until now. Sure, the other series dealt with adult themes – Jessica Jones tackled being a survivor of abuse, Luke Cage dealt with racism, […]Crisis On Infinite Midlivesyes1:29:1711723Episode 165: Whiskey Tango Motherboxhttp://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2017/11/22/episode-165-whiskey-tango-motherbox/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2017/11/22/episode-165-whiskey-tango-motherbox/#respondWed, 22 Nov 2017 18:33:17 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=11716Justice League was released to theaters in the United States last weekend, and, to put it mildly, it underperformed. In the same way that the Atlanta Falcons underperformed in last year’s Super Bowl.

Sure, there was a lot of weird buzz about reshoots and rewrites and new directors surrounding the movie, but none of that answers the question: was it any good? And did it deserve to underperform as compared to, say, Batman Vs. Superman, or Suicide Squad?

So we discuss the movie: what worked, what didn’t, what could have been improved, and why we think it didn’t do nearly as well as Suicide Squad, let alone The Avengers. We also talk about ways forward for a cinematic universe that includes starts with Superman killing a guy, and ends, for now, with redacted, under cover of darkness, robbing a damn grave.

This episode was recorded live to tape, so if you want to find out why Amanda think Aquaman went to Bowdoin, you’ve come to the right place!

Thanks for listening, suckers!

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2017/11/22/episode-165-whiskey-tango-motherbox/feed/0Justice League was released to theaters in the United States last weekend, and, to put it mildly, it underperformed. In the same way that the Atlanta Falcons underperformed in last year’s Super Bowl. Sure, there was a lot of weird buzz about reshoots a...Justice League was released to theaters in the United States last weekend, and, to put it mildly, it underperformed. In the same way that the Atlanta Falcons underperformed in last year’s Super Bowl. Sure, there was a lot of weird buzz about reshoots and rewrites and new directors surrounding the movie, but none of that […]Crisis On Infinite Midlivesyes1:36:1511716Episode 164: Get Opiehttp://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2017/11/06/episode-164-get-opie/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2017/11/06/episode-164-get-opie/#commentsTue, 07 Nov 2017 02:00:38 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=11710There’s a new Thor movie out. If history were a guide, this would excite us not at all. While we have been, and still generally are, fully in the tank for the Marvel Cinematic Universe, we have not seen any of the Thor movies in an actual movie theater, and that’s saying something considering we did see The Incredible Hulk in our local theater.

Thor: Ragnarok, however, promised to combine Thor with the most important elements of Greg Pak’s Planet Hulk, which we did like. So we made our way to the theaters this weekend, and we spend a good chunk of the episode talking about the flick. Did we like it? Was there more to it than just the thrill of seeing Hulk in full gladiator dress with his Warbound? Is there anything there to make us care about Asgard? Does the movie make the living envy the Doug? Tune in and find out!

We also discuss:

The Jetsons #1, written by Jimmy Palmiotti with art by XXXXX, and:

Captain America #1, written by Mark Waid, with art by Chris Samnee!

This episode was recorded live to tape, so if you want to know why Rob has the completely wrong idea about what it means to get romantic with a guitar, you’re in luck!

Thanks for listening, suckers!

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2017/11/06/episode-164-get-opie/feed/1There’s a new Thor movie out. If history were a guide, this would excite us not at all. While we have been, and still generally are, fully in the tank for the Marvel Cinematic Universe, we have not seen any of the Thor movies in an actual movie theater...Thor: Ragnarok promised to combine Thor with the most important elements of Greg Pak's Planet Hulk, which we did like. So we made our way to the theaters this weekend, and we spend a good chunk of the episode talking about the flick. Did we like it? Was there more to it than just the thrill of seeing Hulk in full gladiator dress with his Warbound? Is there anything there to make us care about Asgard? Does the movie make the living envy the Doug? Tune in and find out!<br />
<br />
We also discuss The Jetsons #1, written by Jimmy Palmiotti with art by XXXXX, and Captain America #1, written by Mark Waid, with art by Chris Samnee!Crisis On Infinite Midlivesyes1:23:0311710Episode 163: Batgirl’s Gap Yearhttp://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2017/10/23/episode-163-batgirls-gap-year/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2017/10/23/episode-163-batgirls-gap-year/#respondMon, 23 Oct 2017 23:54:52 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=11704We are now fully into Marvel’s Legacy initiative to step back from years of event overload and senseless character deaths, and to reintroduce simpler, more classic versions of the character back into the monthly issues. And as we glory in the reintroduction of series’ original numbering, and the inclusion of classic Stan Lee / Funky Flashman-esque Mighty Marvel Marching Society hype into each issue, we also wonder: where the hell are the simpler, classic versions of the characters?

In that vein, we talk about:

Invincible Iron Man #593, written by Brian Michael Bendis with art by Stefano Caselli and Alex Maleev, and

The Mighty Thor #700, written by Jason Aaron with art by almost everyone.

But Marvel is not the only one reintroducing older characters, so we also discuss:

The WildStorm #8, written by Warren Ellis with art by Jon Davis-Hunt, and

Mage: The Hero Denied #3, written and drawn by Matt Wagner!

This episode was recorded live to tape, meaning that you will learn the reasons why we would treat Marvel Legacy: Starfox in the way we would 80s VHS porn!

Thanks for listening, suckers!

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2017/10/23/episode-163-batgirls-gap-year/feed/0We are now fully into Marvel’s Legacy initiative to step back from years of event overload and senseless character deaths, and to reintroduce simpler, more classic versions of the character back into the monthly issues.We are now fully into Marvel's Legacy initiative to step back from years of event overload and senseless character deaths, and to reintroduce simpler, more classic versions of the character back into the monthly issues. And as we glory in the reintroduction of series' original numbering, and the inclusion of classic Stan Lee / Funky Flashman-esque Mighty Marvel Marching Society hype into each issue, we also wonder: where the hell are the simpler, classic versions of the characters?<br />
<br />
In that vein, we talk about Invincible Iron Man #593, written by Brian Michael Bendis with art by Stefano Caselli and Alex Maleev, and The Mighty Thor #700, written by Jason Aaron with art by almost everyone.<br />
<br />
But Marvel is not the only one reintroducing older characters, so we also discuss The WildStorm #8, written by Warren Ellis with art by Jon Davis-Hunt, and Mage: The Hero Denied #3, written and drawn by Matt Wagner!Crisis On Infinite Midlivesyes1:22:2111704Episode 162: Hey Girl, Are You An Electric Sheep?http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2017/10/09/episode-162-hey-girl-are-you-an-electric-sheep/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2017/10/09/episode-162-hey-girl-are-you-an-electric-sheep/#respondMon, 09 Oct 2017 22:45:55 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=11698DC has been teasing the inclusion of elements of Watchmen into DC Rebirth for nearly a year and a half now, which has made us, Rob especially, very nervous. That inclusion has been kept down to a dull roar until this past weekend, when DC released an ashcan of the first six pages of Doomsday Clock, the 12-issue mini-series that will make good on their threat – I mean, their promise.

So we read those pages, and, to be honest, we read them cold, without noticing that the date in the first panel was 1992, not 1985. So our reaction is based on the misconception that the events of these pages was taking place three weeks after the end of Alan Moore’s Watchmen… not that knowing seven years have passed really change our opinion much. And what did we think? Listen to find out, and thank God that modern digital recording can modulate Rob’s shrieking!

We also discuss Blade Runner 2049, the sequel to one of Rob’s favorite movies, and a flick that he had no intention of seeing until decent reviews started to come out. But see it we did, and we discuss it from two opposing viewpoints: one rabid about Ridley Scott’s 1982 original, and one who went into the sequel almost cold about the first movie. Once again: digital modulation is your friend.

We also discuss:

Batman: White Knight #1, written and drawn by Sean Murphy, and

Batman #32, the conclusion of The War of Jokes and Riddles arc, written by Tom King with art by Mikel Janin!

This episode was recorded live to tape, meaning that “tossing Joi onto a hard drive” could have any one of many meanings!

Thanks for listening, suckers!

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2017/10/09/episode-162-hey-girl-are-you-an-electric-sheep/feed/0DC has been teasing the inclusion of elements of Watchmen into DC Rebirth for nearly a year and a half now, which has made us, Rob especially, very nervous. That inclusion has been kept down to a dull roar until this past weekend,DC has been teasing the inclusion of elements of Watchmen into DC Rebirth for nearly a year and a half now, which has made us, Rob especially, very nervous. That inclusion has been kept down to a dull roar until this past weekend, when DC released an ashcan of the first six pages of Doomsday Clock, the 12-issue mini-series that will make good on their threat - I mean, their promise.<br />
<br />
So we read those pages, and, to be honest, we read them cold, without noticing that the date in the first panel was 1992, not 1985. So our reaction is based on the misconception that the events of these pages was taking place three weeks after the end of Alan Moore's Watchmen... not that knowing seven years have passed really change our opinion much. And what did we think? Listen to find out, and thank God that modern digital recording can modulate Rob's shrieking!<br />
<br />
We also discuss Blade Runner 2049, the sequel to one of Rob's favorite movies, and a flick that he had no intention of seeing until decent reviews started to come out. But see it we did, and we discuss it from two opposing viewpoints: one rabid about Ridley Scott's 1982 original, and one who went into the sequel almost cold about the first movie. Once again: digital modulation is your friend.<br />
<br />
We also discuss Batman: White Knight #1, written and drawn by Sean Murphy, and Batman #32, the conclusion of The War of Jokes and Riddles arc, written by Tom King with art by Mikel Janin!Crisis On Infinite Midlivesyes2:13:3211698Episode 161: Forbush Man: The Motion Picturehttp://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2017/09/19/episode-161-forbush-man-the-motion-picture/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2017/09/19/episode-161-forbush-man-the-motion-picture/#respondWed, 20 Sep 2017 00:49:16 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=11690With everything that’s been going on at the Crisis On Infinite Midlives Home Office (goodbye flood, hello nine-foot curtain hanging!), we’ve been a little late to the party on Marvel’s latest Netflix series, The Defenders. Again, this is purely because of unrelated life events, and is in no way related to the fact that the final count for Rob falling asleep through Iron Fist, Marvel’s last Netflix series, stands at six. And that’s not a final count, because it includes the final episode. But we digress.

This past weekend, we finally caught Marvel’s second attempt at putting together a filmed superhero team, and we discuss the effort. Including what worked, what was fun and interesting and surprising, why Netflix can’t seem to create a superhero series of ANY length that doesn’t feel like it’s dragging in the middle, and why Iron Fist is the Poochie of filmed superhero drama.

We also discuss:

Action Comics #987, written by Dan Jurgens, with art by Viktor Bogdanovic, and

Mr. Miracle #2, written by Tom King with art by Mitch Gerads!

This show was recorded live to tape. Which is why you will learn the etymology of the phrase “Kneel before Zuck!”

Thanks for listening, suckers!

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2017/09/19/episode-161-forbush-man-the-motion-picture/feed/0With everything that’s been going on at the Crisis On Infinite Midlives Home Office (goodbye flood, hello nine-foot curtain hanging!), we’ve been a little late to the party on Marvel’s latest Netflix series, The Defenders. Again,This past weekend, we finally caught Marvel's second attempt at putting together a filmed superhero team, and we discuss the effort. Including what worked, what was fun and interesting and surprising, why Netflix can't seem to create a superhero series of ANY length that doesn't feel like it's dragging in the middle, and why Iron Fist is the Poochie of filmed superhero drama.<br />
<br />
We also discuss Action Comics #987, written by Dan Jurgens, with art by Viktor Bogdanovic, and Mr. Miracle #2, written by Tom King with art by Mitch Gerads!Crisis On Infinite Midlivesyes1:17:1211690Episode 160: Rye and Moxie and a Little Crankyhttp://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2017/09/11/episode-160-rye-and-moxie-and-a-little-cranky/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2017/09/11/episode-160-rye-and-moxie-and-a-little-cranky/#respondTue, 12 Sep 2017 00:38:57 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=11683It was yet another berserk week at the Crisis On Infinite Midlives Home Office, with more workmen in the house, the building of massive shelving that, Tardis-like, is somehow bigger on the inside, and family members evacuating South Florida to escape Hurricane Irma… before turning around to drive right back into Hurricane Irma. Let’s just say there might be a genetic component to why Rob never seems to think things through.

As such, this week hasn’t been conducive to a well prepared episode. For which we apologize, but we saw a few things we wanted to talk about. We finally saw the first season of Alan Tudyk’s Con Men as it premiered on the SyFy Channel, as discussed how it reflects and makes fun of actual convention culture.

We also caught the first episode of Seth MacFarlane’s The Orville, which is a weird show by the creator of Family Guy in that it’s a riff on Star Trek that will make Star Trek fans crazy with rage, and that will make Family Guy fans baffled and confused.

We also discuss Spider-Man #20, written by Brian Michael Bendis with art by Nico Leon, and Venomverse #1, written by Cullen Bunn with art by Iban Coello!

This episode was recorded live to tape. So if you ever wanted to know why Star Trek conversations with Rob and Amanda quickly turn to Romulan Ale, here’s your answer!

Thanks for listening, suckers!

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2017/09/11/episode-160-rye-and-moxie-and-a-little-cranky/feed/0It was yet another berserk week at the Crisis On Infinite Midlives Home Office, with more workmen in the house, the building of massive shelving that, Tardis-like, is somehow bigger on the inside, and family members evacuating South Florida to escape H...We finally saw the first season of Alan Tudyk's Con Men as it premiered on the SyFy Channel, as discussed how it reflects and makes fun of actual convention culture.<br />
<br />
We also caught the first episode of Seth MacFarlane's The Orville, which is a weird show by the creator of Family Guy in that it's a riff on Star Trek that will make Star Trek fans crazy with rage, and that will make Family Guy fans baffled and confused.<br />
<br />
We also discuss Spider-Man #20, written by Brian Michael Bendis with art by Nico Leon, and Venomverse #1, written by Cullen Bunn with art by Iban Coello!Crisis On Infinite Midlivesyes1:00:2211683Episode 159: Cthulhu Sausagehttp://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2017/09/05/episode-159-cthulhu-sausage/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2017/09/05/episode-159-cthulhu-sausage/#respondTue, 05 Sep 2017 23:36:07 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=11679We are back, after a lengthier-than-expected parental visit, an unexpected recording studio flood, extended remediation of water damage, and a certain amount of recording equipment replacement and testing. So please: be gentle.

While the ratings were abysmal (meaning you may well not have watched it), this week gave us the first planned ending to Twin Peaks ever, after 27 years. And, since Rob is a huge fan, and maintains with a straight face and a certain vehemence that Twin Peaks has a lot in common with comic book storytelling (this week’s finale alone gave us time travel, dimensional teleportation, evil twins, and a dude defeating evil by punching it to death with a green Hulk fist), we discuss the series as a whole. We talk about what worked for fans and non-fans (hi, Amanda!), whether the visual beauty was worth the sometimes terrible pacing, if the wait for the return of Special Agent Dale Cooper was worth it, and whether the ending was yet another unsatisfying cliffhanger, or just enough to tell us what we really need to know.

This is, however, a comics podcast, so we also dive into another ending: Secret Empire #10, written by Nick Spencer with art by Steve McNiven, Rod Reis, David Marquez, Paco Medina, and anyone else needed to keep this mess on schedule. Like Twin Peaks, this is a story where we’ve waited literally years for the return of its hero, where the theme requires buying into weird metaphysics with rules that are seemingly made up as they go along, and where the ending can dictate whether it was worth the infuriating journey or just a waste of time.

This episode was recorded live to tape. So if you ever wanted to know why no one in college would watch Twin Peaks with Rob, here’s your chance to find our why!

Thanks for listening, suckers!

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2017/09/05/episode-159-cthulhu-sausage/feed/0We are back, after a lengthier-than-expected parental visit, an unexpected recording studio flood, extended remediation of water damage, and a certain amount of recording equipment replacement and testing. So please: be gentle.While the ratings were abysmal (meaning you may well not have watched it), this week gave us the first planned ending to Twin Peaks ever, after 27 years. And, since Rob is a huge fan, and maintains with a straight face and a certain vehemence that Twin Peaks has a lot in common with comic book storytelling (this week's finale alone gave us time travel, dimensional teleportation, evil twins, and a dude defeating evil by punching it to death with a green Hulk fist), we discuss the series as a whole. We talk about what worked for fans and non-fans (hi, Amanda!), whether the visual beauty was worth the sometimes terrible pacing, if the wait for the return of Special Agent Dale Cooper was worth it, and whether the ending was yet another unsatisfying cliffhanger, or just enough to tell us what we really need to know.<br />
<br />
This is, however, a comics podcast, so we also dive into another ending: Secret Empire #10, written by Nick Spencer with art by Steve McNiven, Rod Reis, David Marquez, Paco Medina, and anyone else needed to keep this mess on schedule. Like Twin Peaks, this is a story where we've waited literally years for the return of its hero, where the theme requires buying into weird metaphysics with rules that are seemingly made up as they go along, and where the ending can dictate whether it was worth the infuriating journey or just a waste of time.Crisis On Infinite Midlivesyes1:24:1811679What Year Is This?http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2017/09/04/what-year-is-this/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2017/09/04/what-year-is-this/#respondMon, 04 Sep 2017 21:57:23 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=11677Good news, everyone! Serv-Pro is out of the Crisis On Infinite Midlives Home Office recording studio, and after significant dehumidifying, it turns out the structural damage wound up being minimal, and we have had it alleviated. We are still waiting for replacement storage solutions for the stuff we moved out of the leakage from the water heater, so until that arrives, the studio looks like your back yard shed took a dump in it, but that can wait until a later date.

It turns out we did lose a couple of minor pieces of actual recording studio equipment in the flood, but those have been replaced, tested, and seem to be okay. All in all, we got off very lucky, all things considered.

So the good news is, we will be recording and releasing a live-to-tape episode tomorrow about last week’s conclusions of Twin Peaks: The Return, and of Secret Empire.

We sincerely apologize for being dark as long as we have. Thanks for sticking with us through a mildly trying time!

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2017/09/04/what-year-is-this/feed/011677Waterworldhttp://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2017/08/24/waterworld/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2017/08/24/waterworld/#respondFri, 25 Aug 2017 02:50:45 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=11671Okay: we are not dead. We also will likely not have a show for a week or so. Let us explain.

After we came back from San Diego Comic-Con, Rob had a long-standing visit with his parents scheduled. Which is fine, except Rob forgot that his parents weren’t rocking the common decency to leave under cover of darkness on a Saturday night, leaving enough time for us to record a weekend podcast. Rob assumed leaving at off hours was normal, but then again, Rob has not given his Christian name to a hotel since 1994 for a reason. But we digress.

So Rob’s parents left Monday morning. Monday night, Rob and Amanda went into the Home Office Basement Recording Studio to tape a show. Which is normal, if late… except the puddle we walked into was not.

Long story short: our hot water heater blew out at some point between Sunday and Monday night, dumping dozens of gallons of (formerly) hot water onto the recording studio floor.

Luckily, none of the water reached the recording studio area, so our equipment is intact. Unluckily, dozens of gallons of water never goes anywhere you want to (protip: you don’t want that water to go ANYWHERE except the hot water tank).

So our recording studio is working. It is, however, currently filled with no less than nine industrial fans and two Big Iron dehumidifiers of the type that would make Kevin Costner’s Waterworld obsolete in a month. We have a humidity detector in the studio, and it says that it is currently Arrakis in there. Problem is, it needs to be Arrakis for another several days before anyone can be certain that it won’t change from Dune into Tremors in there.

Therefore, we will likely be dark through this week. If things go well and we don’t have to have the recording studio walls sawed apart, put back together and painted, we should be back next week.

We’re sorry for the delay, but we are, after all, regular people with sub-regular water heating equipment. We’ll be back as soon as we can.

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2017/08/24/waterworld/feed/011671Episode 158: SDCC 2017 Wrap-Up, or: Hall H Can Smell Your Fearhttp://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2017/08/07/episode-158-sdcc-2017-wrap-up-or-hall-h-can-smell-your-fear/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2017/08/07/episode-158-sdcc-2017-wrap-up-or-hall-h-can-smell-your-fear/#respondMon, 07 Aug 2017 23:52:45 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=11668We are back and recovered from San Diego Comic Con 2017. SDCC is a show we’ve attended more than almost any other, and yet this year it seemed, I don’t know… bigger. More oppressive. More willing to empty your wallet and leave you for dead, while showing you genre spectacle you couldn’t get with an all access pass to Industrial Light and Magic.

So after recovering (and even the recovery from Con Crud seemed more difficult than past years), we were joined by longtime SDCC attendee, Los Angeles comedian Gariana Abeyta, to talk about being assaulted by childrens’ strollers on the floor, taking revenge by trampling young cosplayers on the way to ask panel questions, the horrors of Hall H (and how they compare to the horrors of a malfunctioning RFID badge), “Resting Crime Face,” and whether the experience is still worth the time, planning, exhaustion and literally thousands of dollars it can take to attend.

As a reminder: this show contains adult, profane language, and is therefore not safe for work. Take a look at the episode’s title, and know that fear is not the only convention smell we discuss. Get yourself some headphones.

Thanks for listening, suckers!

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2017/08/07/episode-158-sdcc-2017-wrap-up-or-hall-h-can-smell-your-fear/feed/0We are back and recovered from San Diego Comic Con 2017. SDCC is a show we’ve attended more than almost any other, and yet this year it seemed, I don’t know… bigger. More oppressive. More willing to empty your wallet and leave you for dead,We are back and recovered from San Diego Comic Con 2017. SDCC is a show we've attended more than almost any other, and yet this year it seemed, I don't know... bigger. More oppressive. More willing to empty your wallet and leave you for dead, while showing you genre spectacle you couldn't get with an all access pass to Industrial Light and Magic.<br />
<br />
So after recovering (and even the recovery from Con Crud seemed more difficult than past years), we were joined by longtime SDCC attendee, Los Angeles comedian Gariana Abeyta, to talk about being assaulted by childrens' strollers on the floor, taking revenge by trampling young cosplayers on the way to ask panel questions, the horrors of Hall H (and how they compare to the horrors of a malfunctioning RFID badge), "Resting Crime Face," and whether the experience is still worth the time, planning, exhaustion and literally thousands of dollars it can take to attend.<br />
<br />
Oh yeah: we also have the panel audio of Rob asking Nick Lowe about the status of Miracleman.Crisis On Infinite Midlivesyes1:21:0911668Con Crudhttp://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2017/08/02/con-crud/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2017/08/02/con-crud/#respondWed, 02 Aug 2017 13:10:12 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=11665There is a phenomenon called Con Crud, which is when tens of thousands of geeks are crammed into a relatively small space for four days, every disease known to mankind that can be passed between them, will be passed between them.

Long story short: Amanda and I picked up a dose of Con Crud at San Diego Comic-Con. And we’ve been getting over it for the past several days. Combine that with the crippling day job work load that comes from taking a week and a half off to rub elbows with The Wicked and The Diseased, and we just haven’t been able to sit down and tape a new episode.

But! We believe we have secured Los Angeles comedian and longtime friend Gariana Abeyta as a guest for this week’s show. She was at SDCC with us, and we’re planning to talk about SDCC, how it went, what could have been better, and when to fake a huge and weighty life choice.

So sorry we’ve been dark, and thank you for your patience. We’ll be back with a new episode Monday.

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2017/08/02/con-crud/feed/011665Episode 157: SDCC 2017 Part 1, or: Live Your Truth, Just Not on My Pantshttp://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2017/07/21/episode-157-sdcc-2017-part-1-or-live-your-truth-just-not-on-my-pants/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2017/07/21/episode-157-sdcc-2017-part-1-or-live-your-truth-just-not-on-my-pants/#respondFri, 21 Jul 2017 17:56:04 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=11659The first official day of San Diego Comic-Con 2017 was yesterday, and we are doing shows live (to tape) from the belly of the beast.

Being our first day back to SDCC in three years, we discuss what’s changed in the intervening time, including a brand new requirement to bend the knee and pledge fealty to Rick Grimes. We also discuss some of our strategies for working the floor, some interesting observations about the state of the convention, and some protips on how to ask a question at a panel (The protip being to ask a question, and remember that your life story is not a question).

We also discuss some observations and news tidbits from the Karen Berger / Paul Levitz panel, and the DC Meet the Publishers panel!

And a few points to remember:

We encoded this episode at a slightly lower bitrate than usual. We did this to try to save bandwidth and to ensure we’d have enough space to deliver episodes from San Diego Comic-Con. So we apologize if the sound isn’t quite as clean as it usually is. Luckily, you don’t need a lot of bits to record drunken profanity.

This show contains adult, profane language, and is therefore not safe for work.

While we will be uploading podcasts periodically throughout the convention, you should follow us on Facebook for uploads of photos and other media we grab during SDCC.

Thanks for listening, suckers!

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2017/07/21/episode-157-sdcc-2017-part-1-or-live-your-truth-just-not-on-my-pants/feed/0The first official day of San Diego Comic-Con 2017 was yesterday, and we are doing shows live (to tape) from the belly of the beast. Being our first day back to SDCC in three years, we discuss what’s changed in the intervening time,The first official day of San Diego Comic-Con 2017 was yesterday, and we are doing shows live (to tape) from the belly of the beast.<br />
<br />
Being our first day back to SDCC in three years, we discuss what's changed in the intervening time, including a brand new requirement to bend the knee and pledge fealty to Rick Grimes. We also discuss some of our strategies for working the floor, some interesting observations about the state of the convention, and some protips on how to ask a question at a panel (The protip being to ask a question, and remember that your life story is not a question).<br />
<br />
We also discuss some observations and news tidbits from the Karen Berger / Paul Levitz panel, and the DC Meet the Publishers panel!Crisis On Infinite Midlivesyes44:0711659Episode 156: Weaponized Continuity, or: Michael Keaton’s Rhinoceroshttp://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2017/07/17/episode-156-weaponized-continuity-or-michael-keatons-rhinoceros/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2017/07/17/episode-156-weaponized-continuity-or-michael-keatons-rhinoceros/#respondMon, 17 Jul 2017 23:14:09 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=11655We’re a little late to the party when it comes to Spider-Man: Homecoming, which opened a week and a half ago to the tune of 200 million dollars and 93% on Rotten Tomatoes. But late or no, there’s a lot to unpack in the movie, given that it’s the third reboot of the cinematic Spider-Man, which is a lot for a franchise that’s barely as old as its fifteen-year-old protagonist.

So we invited special guests – comedians Ross Garmil and Benari Poulten – to talk with us about it. And we dig into how Tom Holland stacks up against earlier actors, both as Peter Parker and as Spider-Man, whether there’s a place in classic Spider-Man for a costume that speaks with the voice of Jenny from The Rocketeer, how Michael Keaton stacks up against Marvel’s other (admittedly normally poor) cinematic villains, whether Spider-Man joked enough, and whether Tony Stark had any reasonable place in this movie that wouldn’t possibly hurt the plot.

Ah, the disclaimers:

We encoded this episode at a slightly lower bitrate than usual. We did this to try to save bandwidth and to ensure we’d have enough space to deliver episodes from San Diego Comic-Con later this week. So we apologize if the sound isn’t quite as clean as it usually is. Luckily, you don’t need a lot of bits to record drunken profanity.

This show contains spoilers. While we try to shout out warnings ahead of time, just assume that we will be ruining the entirety of Spider-Man: Homecoming, plus Guardians of The Galaxy 2 and maybe Batman V. Superman just for giggles.

This show contains adult, profane language, and is therefore not safe for work. At one point, we talk about Nickelback. If you think the swearing doesn’t come out there, you’re delusional. Listen with headphones.

Thanks for listening, suckers!

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2017/07/17/episode-156-weaponized-continuity-or-michael-keatons-rhinoceros/feed/0We’re a little late to the party when it comes to Spider-Man: Homecoming, which opened a week and a half ago to the tune of 200 million dollars and 93% on Rotten Tomatoes. But late or no, there’s a lot to unpack in the movie,We're a little late to the party when it comes to Spider-Man: Homecoming, which opened a week and a half ago to the tune of 200 million dollars and 93% on Rotten Tomatoes. But late or no, there's a lot to unpack in the movie, given that it's the third reboot of the cinematic Spider-Man, which is a lot for a franchise that's barely as old as its fifteen-year-old protagonist.<br />
<br />
So we invited special guests - comedians Ross Garmil and Benari Poulten - to talk with us about it. And we dig into how Tom Holland stacks up against earlier actors, both as Peter Parker and as Spider-Man, whether there's a place in classic Spider-Man for a costume that speaks with the voice of Jenny from The Rocketeer, how Michael Keaton stacks up against Marvel's other (admittedly normally poor) cinematic villains, whether Spider-Man joked enough, and whether Tony Stark had any reasonable place in this movie that wouldn't possibly hurt the plot.Crisis On Infinite Midlivesyes1:18:4311655Episode 155: Unicorn Dingleberrieshttp://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2017/07/10/episode-155-unicorn-dingleberries/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2017/07/10/episode-155-unicorn-dingleberries/#respondTue, 11 Jul 2017 01:00:55 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=11653We are mere days away from San Diego Comic-Con 2017, which will be the first we’ve attended and covered in the past three years. To say we’re excited would be a massive understatement, and we’re putting together our plans to cover the show and record and release short episodes directly from the con.

But figuring out what to cover means knowing what’s there. The convention released the complete programming schedule last week, and we spent some time poring over it, finding not only the panels we’re hoping to cover for some comics news, but some ones that are just plain cool-looking… plus a few that clearly exist only to give someone’s nephew’s best friend who’s also an agent a bone in exchange for getting someone you actually heard of to show up.

And, as always, the disclaimers:

We encoded this episode at a slightly lower bitrate than usual. We did this to try to save bandwidth and to ensure we’d have enough space to deliver episodes from the convention. So we apologize if the sound isn’t quite as clean as it usually is. Luckily, you don’t need a lot of bits to record drunken profanity. Speaking of which:

This show contains adult, profane language, and is therefore not safe for work. Rob places over-under odds on many aspects of Comic-Con in this episode. Some of those odds might relate to bodily fluids and / or distance. If you’re going to be around anyone civilized, get some headphones.

Thanks for listening, suckers!

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2017/07/10/episode-155-unicorn-dingleberries/feed/0We are mere days away from San Diego Comic-Con 2017, which will be the first we’ve attended and covered in the past three years. To say we’re excited would be a massive understatement, and we’re putting together our plans to cover the show and record a...We are mere days away from San Diego Comic-Con 2017, which will be the first we've attended and covered in the past three years. To say we're excited would be a massive understatement, and we're putting together our plans to cover the show and record and release short episodes directly from the con.<br />
But figuring out what to cover means knowing what's there. The convention released the complete programming schedule last week, and we spent some time poring over it, finding not only the panels we're hoping to cover for some comics news, but some ones that are just plain cool-looking... plus a few that clearly exist only to give someone's nephew's best friend who's also an agent a bone in exchange for getting someone you actually heard of to show up.Crisis On Infinite Midlivesyes1:38:1411653Episode 154: Contractually Obligated to be Family Friendlyhttp://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2017/06/26/episode-154-contractually-obligated-to-be-family-friendly/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2017/06/26/episode-154-contractually-obligated-to-be-family-friendly/#respondTue, 27 Jun 2017 02:29:12 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=11645At face value, there is nothing impressive or exciting about crossovers between DC Comics and Looney Tunes or Hanna Barbara. We didn’t pay a ton of attention to these books when they started dropping last year, until we finally picked a couple of them up out of a combination of seeking relief from the impending invasion of Watchmen characters into the DC Universe, and the kind of base rubbernecking instinct that makes people slow down to look at car wrecks, or non-Mission Impossible Tom Cruise starring vehicles.

Man, were we wrong, Almost to a one, these crossovers have been some of the most fun comics on the shelves when they appear. A pile of these crossovers came out this week, and a bunch of interesting and unexpected, yet entertaining, pairings happened! Along with the expected, somewhat disturbing, pairing between Batman and Catwoman!

So we’re talking a pile of books this week, including:

Batman #25, written by Tom King with art by Mikel Janin,

Peter Parker: The Spectacular Spider-Man #1, written by Chip Zdarsky with art by Adam Kubert,

WMD: Weapons of Mutant Destruction #1, written by Greg Pak with art by Mahmud Asrar,

This show contains spoilers. If you don’t want to know whether or not the coyote gets the road runner, it’s because you’ve seen as many Saturday morning cartoons as we have and you know damn well what the answer is.

This show contains adult, profane language, and is therefore not safe for work. We know the title says “Family Friendly.” Charles Manson also had a family. Listen with headphones.

Thanks for listening, suckers!

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2017/06/26/episode-154-contractually-obligated-to-be-family-friendly/feed/0At face value, there is nothing impressive or exciting about crossovers between DC Comics and Looney Tunes or Hanna Barbara. We didn’t pay a ton of attention to these books when they started dropping last year,At face value, there is nothing impressive or exciting about crossovers between DC Comics and Looney Tunes or Hanna Barbara. We didn't pay a ton of attention to these books when they started dropping last year, until we finally picked a couple of them up out of a combination of seeking relief from the impending invasion of Watchmen characters into the DC Universe, and the kind of base rubbernecking instinct that makes people slow down to look at car wrecks, or non-Mission Impossible Tom Cruise starring vehicles. <br />
<br />
Man, were we wrong, Almost to a one, these crossovers have been some of the most fun comics on the shelves when they appear. And a bunch of interesting and unexpected, yet entertaining, pairings happened this week! Along to the expected, somewhat disturbing, pairing between Batman and Catwoman!<br />
So we're talking a pile of books this week, including: Batman #25, written by Tom King with art by Mikel Janin, Peter Parker: The Spectacular Spider-Man #1, written by Chip Zdarsky with art by Adam Kubert, WMD: Weapons of Mutant Destruction #1, written by Greg Pak with art by Mahmud Asrar, Wonder Woman / Tasmanian Devil #1, Written by Tony Bedard with art by Barry Kitson and Ben Caldwell, Lobo / Road Runner #1, written by Bill Morrison with art by Morrison and Kelley Jones, and Nick Fury #3, written by James Robinson with art by Aco!Crisis On Infinite Midlivesyes85:3911645Episode 153: Ultron Oompa Loompashttp://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2017/06/19/episode-153-ultron-oompa-loompas/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2017/06/19/episode-153-ultron-oompa-loompas/#respondTue, 20 Jun 2017 02:21:35 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=11640Some weeks, you don’t record a podcast when you’re ready. You record when you’re awake.

Rob had a long weekend of late nights being on call for his day gig, leading to a slim, two-hour window where he’d had enough coffee to be able to say something longer than his own name, yet not enough liquor to actively slur those things. And this strange state put him in a mood to rant. About the golden days of Marvel after the bankruptcy and before Civil War, when they were willing to take chances. About acceptable Mark Millar stories. About how Batman’s most driving personality trait might be hoarding. And, God help us, how there might be redeeming qualities to Secret Empire.

So strap in: this is a weird one, and we talk about all of those things, plus:

Old Man Logan #25, written by Ed Brisson with art by Mike Deodato, Jr.,

Secret Empire #4, written by Nick Spencer with art by Leinil Francis Yu,

Dark Days: The Forge #1, written by Scott Snyder and James Tynion IV, with art by Jim Lee, Andy Kubert and John Romita Jr., and:

The Defenders #1, written by Brian Michael Bendis with art by David Marquez!

Ah, we have disclaimers:

This show contains spoilers. If you don’t want to know Captain America’s political affiliation on Secret Empire, well, you’re not alone, but you have also been warned.

This show contains adult, profane language, and is therefore not safe for work. We talk about Batman being a Howard Hughes style hoarder. That involves Mason Jars. You want your mom to know what’s in those jars? Then get some earbuds.

Thanks for listening, suckers!

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2017/06/19/episode-153-ultron-oompa-loompas/feed/0Some weeks, you don’t record a podcast when you’re ready. You record when you’re awake. Rob had a long weekend of late nights being on call for his day gig, leading to a slim, two-hour window where he’d had enough coffee to be able to say something lon...Some weeks, you don't record a podcast when you're ready. You record when you're awake.<br />
<br />
Rob had a long weekend of late nights being on call for his day gig, leading to a slim, two-hour window where he'd had enough coffee to be able to say something longer than his own name, yet not enough liquor to actively slur those things. And this strange state put him in a mood to rant. About the golden days of Marvel after the bankruptcy and before Civil War, when they were willing to take chances. About acceptable Mark Millar stories. About how Batman's most driving personality trait might be hoarding. And, God help us, how there might be redeeming qualities to Secret Empire.<br />
<br />
So strap in: this is a weird one, and we talk about all of those things, plus: Old Man Logan #25, written by Ed Brisson with art by Mike Deodato, Jr., Secret Empire #4, written by Nick Spencer with art by Leinil Francis Yu, Dark Days: The Forge #1, written by Scott Snyder and James Tynion IV, with art by Jim Lee, Andy Kubert and John Romita Jr., and The Defenders #1, written by Brian Michael Bendis with art by David Marquez!Crisis On Infinite Midlivesyes11640Episode 152: Are You A Kandorian or A Kant-dorian?http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2017/06/13/episode-152-are-you-a-kandorian-or-a-kant-dorian/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2017/06/13/episode-152-are-you-a-kandorian-or-a-kant-dorian/#respondWed, 14 Jun 2017 02:41:09 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=11635We are in a genre entertainment lull. A week after Wonder Woman debuted in theaters, three weeks before Spider-Man: Homecoming opens, and with all the geek TV shows on summer hiatus, there’s not a lot to talk about except the comic books.

So we stick with comics this week, and we are thankful that we don’t have to deal with a week of DC Comics trying to shoehorn classic comics from the 80s into modern continuity. Instead, we weep that we have to deal with DC Comics trying to shoehorn classic comics from the 80s into some weird Elseworlds continuity they probably hope they can sell to people who remember Frank Miller without thinking of Holy Terror.

So we discuss:

DK III: The Master Race #9, written by Frank Miller and Brian Azzarello, with art by Andy Kubert and Klaus Janson,

Wonder Woman Steve Trevor Special #1, written by Tim Seeley with art by Christian Duce,

Batman #24, written by Tom King with art by David Finch, and:

The Walking Dead #168, written by Robert Kirkman with art by Charlie Adlard!

And, the normal disclaimers:

This show contains spoilers. If you don’t want to know who Steve Trevor is sleeping with, you are clearly not thinking things through. But don’t pretend we didn’t warn you.

This show contains adult, profane language, and is therefore not safe for work. We don’t talk about Batman’s dance belt because of his waistline. Listen with some headphones.

Thanks for listening, suckers!

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2017/06/13/episode-152-are-you-a-kandorian-or-a-kant-dorian/feed/0We are in a genre entertainment lull. A week after Wonder Woman debuted in theaters, three weeks before Spider-Man: Homecoming opens, and with all the geek TV shows on summer hiatus, there’s not a lot to talk about except the comic books.We are in a genre entertainment lull. A week after Wonder Woman debuted in theaters, three weeks before Spider-Man: Homecoming opens, and with all the geek TV shows on summer hiatus, there's not a lot to talk about except the comic books.<br />
<br />
So we stick with comics this week, and we are thankful that we don't have to deal with a week of DC Comics trying to shoehorn classic comics from the 80s into modern continuity. Instead, we weep that we have to deal with DC Comics trying to shoehorn classic comics from the 80s into some weird Elseworlds continuity they probably hope they can sell to people who remember Frank Miller without thinking of Holy Terror.<br />
<br />
So we discuss: DK III: The Master Race #9, written by Frank Miller and Brian Azzarello, with art by Andy Kubert and Klaus Janson, Wonder Woman Steve Trevor Special #1, written by Tim Seeley with art by Christian Duce, Batman #24, written by Tom King with art by David Finch, and The Walking Dead #168, written by Robert Kirkman with art by Charlie Adlard!Crisis On Infinite Midlivesyes77:1911635Episode 151: It’s Method. I Have To Do This.http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2017/06/05/episode-151-its-method-i-have-to-do-this/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2017/06/05/episode-151-its-method-i-have-to-do-this/#respondTue, 06 Jun 2017 01:03:50 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=11627While Patty Jenkins’s Wonder Woman was certainly the big comics movie of the week, we start off talking about, of all things, M. Night Shyamalan’s five month old movie Split. We talk about it because, well, we weren’t expecting it to be a comic book style story, and were extremely surprised to find it so. Mostly we were surprised because we spend a lot more time paying attention to comic book news Web sites than we do movie Web sites.

But we do spend an extended period of time discussing Wonder Woman, a movie that only had to pass the bar of, “Please God, don’t be terrible” to satisfy us, and wound up being one hell of a lot better than that. We talk about Gal Godot’s performance, why the World War I setting worked out far better than its probable “Let’s not be too close to Captain America” origins, whether or not Ares really had a place in the movie, and Rebel Wilson. For some reason.

We also discuss:

Secret Empire #3, written by Nick Spencer with art by Andrea Sorrentino (No, we can’t seem to stop talking about Secret Empire), and:

Redneck #2, written by Donny Cates with art by Lisandro Estherren!

And, as usual, the disclaimers:

This show contains spoilers. If you don’t want to know the big secret behind Split, then skip to about 20 minutes in, and for the love of God, don’t click that link about five paragraphs up. You know, the one you probably already clicked.

This show contains adult, profane language, and is therefore not safe for work. We talk about Lex Luthor’s method acting in this episode. Sounds benign, doesn’t it? You, and your employer, would be very surprised. Listen with headphones.

Thanks for listening, suckers!

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2017/06/05/episode-151-its-method-i-have-to-do-this/feed/0While Patty Jenkins’s Wonder Woman was certainly the big comics movie of the week, we start off talking about, of all things, M. Night Shyamalan’s five month old movie Split. We talk about it because, well,While Patty Jenkins's Wonder Woman was certainly the big comics movie of the week, we start off talking about, of all things, M. Night Shyamalan's five month old movie Split. We talk about it because, well, we weren't expecting it to be a comic book style story, and were extremely surprised to find it so. Mostly we were surprised because we spend a lot more time paying attention to comic book news Web sites than we do movie Web sites.<br />
<br />
But we do spend an extended period of time discussing Wonder Woman, a movie that only had to pass the bar of, "Please God, don't be terrible" to satisfy us, and wound up being one hell of a lot better than that. We talk about Gal Godot's performance, why the World War I setting worked out far better than its probable "Let's not be too close to Captain America" origins, whether or not Ares really had a place in the movie, and Rebel Wilson. For some reason.<br />
<br />
We also discuss: Secret Empire #3, written by Nick Spencer with art by Andrea Sorrentino (No, we can't seem to stop talking about Secret Empire), and Redneck #2, written by Donny Cates with art by Lisandro Estherren!Crisis On Infinite Midlivesyes11627Versus Doctor Lighthttp://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2017/05/30/versus-doctor-light/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2017/05/30/versus-doctor-light/#respondWed, 31 May 2017 00:53:30 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=11625We wound up being dark this week, as it was a long holiday weekend here in the United States, which is distracting in and of itself. However, we were also distracted with the realization that one of our light switches, which was originally rated to light a two-bulb chandelier, was now running an eight-bulber and growing so hot after ten minutes that I’m surprised it didn’t shriek “Exterminate!” and give Jenna Coleman some self-actualization.

Changing out a light switch is a simple and menial task if you have any handyman skills whatsoever, which means it took me three hours, ten YouTube videos, obsessive wire counting and Amanda standing behind me with rubber-soled shoes and a wooden broom with which she could knock me away from the wires if I even hiccuped funny. Long story short: the chandelier works, but our taping window was shot.

We will be back next week with an episode about Wonder Woman, which is, according to the early reviews, shaping up to be an actually unreservedly good DC Films flick.

We know, this might not seem like the topic for a comics podcast, but hear us out. Twin Peaks is one of the main inspirations for The X-Files which is clearly turf for genre shows. It features a shared universe of different genre stories like any good comics universe. It has characters with super strength. But most importantly, Rob is a giant Twin Peaks fanboy, and he can’t pass up an opportunity to talk about the return of the first television program that showed him the promise of a shared genre universe the way that comic books did when he was 18 years old.

So we discuss what made the original Twin Peaks great, why there’s still excitement about it 27 years after it ended with little fanfare, and whether it was worth the wait to a person who owned every Twin Peaks property available between 1990 and 2016, or if it is even remotely compelling to someone like Amanda, who watched every episode of Twin Peaks that Rob rammed down her watchholes last week.

We also discuss:

The Flash #22, written by Joshua Williamson with art by Howard Porter, and:

Secret Empire #2, written by Nick Spencer with art by Andrea Sorrentino!

Ah, disclaimers:

This episode was recorded live to tape, meaning that there might be more than the usual number of pauses, verbal tics and weird inside jokes. But we figure if you’re willing to listen to a show about Twin Peaks, then pauses, verbal tics and inside jokes are maybe your jam.

This show contains spoilers. Laura Palmer’s killer was revealed on November 10, 1990. Rob found a way to find out who killed Laura Palmer despite not having hindsight, the Internet, or a working ABC television station in reasonable broadcast range on November 10, 1990. Rob has no pity for you when it comes to this subject.

This show contains adult, profane language, and is therefore not safe for work. We talk about Secret Empire. That means there is cursing. You are forewarned.

Thanks for listening suckers!

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2017/05/23/episode-150-my-pine-weasel-is-out/feed/0Look: we’re talking about Twin Peaks: The Return. We know, this might not seem like the topic for a comics podcast, but hear us out. Twin Peaks is one of the main inspirations for The X-Files which is clearly turf for genre shows.Look: we're talking about Twin Peaks: The Return.<br />
<br />
We know, this might not seem like the topic for a comics podcast, but hear us out. Twin Peaks is one of the main inspirations for The X-Files which is clearly turf for genre shows. It features a shared universe of different genre stories like any good comics universe. It has characters with super strength. But most importantly, Rob is a giant Twin Peaks fanboy, and he can't pass up an opportunity to talk about the return of the first television program that showed him the promise of a shared genre universe the way that comic books did when he was 18 years old.<br />
<br />
So we discuss what made the original Twin Peaks great, why there's still excitement about it 27 years after it ended with little fanfare, and whether it was worth the wait to a person who owned every Twin Peaks property available between 1990 and 2016, or if it is even remotely compelling to someone like Amanda, who watched every episode of Twin Peaks that Rob rammed down her watchholes last week.<br />
<br />
We also discuss The Flash #22, written by Joshua Williamson with art by Howard Porter, and Secret Empire #2, written by Nick Spencer with art by Andrea Sorrentino!Crisis On Infinite Midlivesyes11618My Log Saw Somethinghttp://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2017/05/16/my-log-saw-something/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2017/05/16/my-log-saw-something/#respondWed, 17 May 2017 02:04:16 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=11615Yes, I’m afraid we’re dark again this week. Between Mother’s Day on Sunday, work issues at both our day jobs Monday and another long and crippling 12-hour day today, we just didn’t have time to sit down and tape this week. But here’s some of the stuff we were gonna talk about this week:

In the interest of proving that we don’t have anything against Nick Spencer (no matter how painful Secret Empire has been to read), last week’s The Fix #9 was genuinely excellent, with the funniest aftermath of an attempted murder since The Three Stooges. Yes, all those things Moe did were felonies. The only behavior one corrects with a bowling ball to the head is a regular heartbeat.

In the interest of demonstrating that we don’t really have anything against Marvel Comics in general, Star Wars: The Screaming Citadel #1 was also well worth reading. Then again, it was a Keiron Gillen Star Wars comic starting Dr. Aphra, and showing her first meeting with Luke Skywalker. The only way you can screw that up is if you somehow shoehorn in the word “goatse.” And that “shoehorn” usage was totally intended.

Bryan Fuller’s adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s American Gods is spectacular. We’ll leave it at this, since we may come back to the topic in a future episode.

So yes: sorry for no show this week. Now if you’ll excuse us, we need to prepare for an upcoming comics trivia contest between representatives of a bunch of Boston’s best comic stores (which I’m sure we’ll be talking about in our next episode). Plus, the third season of Twin Peaks debuts on Sunday, which means Rob needs to go through about 27 more episodes of the first two seasons in a savage burn before then.

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2017/05/16/my-log-saw-something/feed/011615Episode 149: The Joe Dirt Cinematic Universehttp://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2017/05/08/episode-149-the-joe-dirt-cinematic-universe/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2017/05/08/episode-149-the-joe-dirt-cinematic-universe/#respondTue, 09 May 2017 01:21:10 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=11609A wise man once said, “it was the best of times, it was the worst of times.” I think it was Harvey Dent. Or maybe Billy Dee Williams. Either way, it’s a statement that certainly applied to last week in comics and comics-related entertainment.

In column A was the United States debut of Marvel Studios’s Guardians of The Galaxy, Vol. 2. We managed to sneak in a matinee last weekend of a movie that we greatly anticipated as either a new installment of a light action science-fantasy property, or an excuse to spread Baby Groot out over two and a quarter hours, or perhaps both.

We talk about the movie, how it is satisfyingly character driven, almost completely disconnected from the master Marvel Cinematic Universe storyline, heavily influenced by some of the best genre sequels out there, and what music cues we might expect now that Star-Lord has access to more modern tunes (here’s a hint: Sonny Crockett and Patrick Bateman would totally approve!

And then there’s column B, which comprised a few of the biggest comics* released last week:

Batman #22, written by Joshua Williamson and Tom King with art by Jason Fabok,

Secret Empire #1, written by Nick Spencer with art by Steve McNiven, and

Secret Empire; Free Comic Book Day edition, written by Nick Spencer with art by Andrea Sorrentino!

(*In the interests of ending on a positive note, we give a quick shout-out to Project Superheroes: Hero Killers #1, written by Ryan Brown with art by Pete Woods)

You wanted the disclaimers, you got the disclaimers!

This show contains spoilers. If you don’t want to know how Captain America and Hydra consolidate their power, well, it really doesn’t matter, since we have no idea, either. But either way: consider this a master spoiler warning.

This show contains adult, profane language, and is therefore not safe for work. We have jokes about The Flash being unable to find The Button, and those jokes are about exactly what you think they’re about. So wear headphones.

Thanks for listening, suckers!

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2017/05/08/episode-149-the-joe-dirt-cinematic-universe/feed/0A wise man once said, “it was the best of times, it was the worst of times.” I think it was Harvey Dent. Or maybe Billy Dee Williams. Either way, it’s a statement that certainly applied to last week in comics and comics-related entertainment.A wise man once said, "it was the best of times, it was the worst of times." I think it was Harvey Dent. Or maybe Billy Dee Williams. Either way, it's a statement that certainly applied to last week in comics and comics-related entertainment. <br />
<br />
In column A was the United States debut of Marvel Studios's Guardians of The Galaxy, Vol. 2. We managed to sneak in a matinee last weekend of a movie that we greatly anticipated as either a new installment of a light action science-fantasy property, or an excuse to spread Baby Groot out over two and a quarter hours, or perhaps both.<br />
<br />
We talk about the movie, how it is satisfyingly character driven, almost completely disconnected from the master Marvel Cinematic Universe storyline, heavily influenced by some of the best genre sequels out there, and what music cues we might expect now that Star-Lord has access to more modern tunes (here's a hint: Sonny Crockett and Patrick Bateman would totally approve!<br />
<br />
And then there's column B, which comprised a few of the biggest comics released last week:<br />
<br />
Batman #22, written by Joshua Williamson and Tom King with art by Jason Fabok, Secret Empire #1, written by Nick Spencer with art by Steve McNiven, and Secret Empire; Free Comic Book Day edition, written by Nick Spencer with art by Andrea Sorrentino!Crisis On Infinite Midlivesyes11609Episode 148: Home Movies in the Man Cave, or: Neglecting the Buttonhttp://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2017/05/01/episode-148-home-movies-in-the-man-cave-or-neglecting-the-button/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2017/05/01/episode-148-home-movies-in-the-man-cave-or-neglecting-the-button/#respondTue, 02 May 2017 00:52:53 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=11598As we ease into convention season, the comics news starts to slow down so publishers have something to discuss in panels. You know, other than garbage news items about the dangers of trying to be funny in 140 characters or less.

So we briefly discuss the next step in the million-mile march toward San Diego Comic-Con: hotel sales, which happened last Wednesday. We also talk about a superhero movie that we missed in 2016: X-Men: Apocalypse, which didn’t really interest us at the time – seeing Oscar Issac painted blue is only a gimme draw if you’re in his fraternity – but which really impressed us now that it’s on cable.

We also talk about some of this week’s books:

The Flash #21, written by Joshua Williamson with art by Howard Porter,

Action Comics #978, written by Dan Jurgens with art by Carlo Barberi,

Ben Reilly: The Scarlet Spider #1, written by Peter David with art by Mark Bagley, and:

Detective Comics #955, written by James Tynion IV with art by Marcio Takara!

What’s that? You want disclaimers?

This show contains spoilers. While we try to give warnings ahead of time, if you don’t want to find out why Angel is a terrible character in X-Men: Apocalypse, I don’t know why you’re listening, since you’ve clearly never read a comic book before.

This show contains adult, profane language, and is therefore not safe for work. During this episode, Amanda says, “Touch the fishy.” Your boss won’t want to know why. So get some headphones.

Thanks for listening, suckers!

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2017/05/01/episode-148-home-movies-in-the-man-cave-or-neglecting-the-button/feed/0As we ease into convention season, the comics news starts to slow down so publishers have something to discuss in panels. You know, other than garbage news items about the dangers of trying to be funny in 140 characters or less.As we ease into convention season, the comics news starts to slow down so publishers have something to discuss in panels. You know, other than garbage news items about the dangers of trying to be funny in 140 characters or less.<br />
<br />
So we briefly discuss the next step in the million-mile march toward San Diego Comic-Con: hotel sales, which happened last Wednesday. We also talk about a superhero movie that we missed in 2016: X-Men: Apocalypse, which didn't really interest us at the time - seeing Oscar Issac painted blue is only a gimme draw if you're in his fraternity - but which really impressed us now that it's on cable.<br />
<br />
We also talk about some of this week's books: The Flash #21, written by Joshua Williamson with art by Howard Porter, Action Comics #978, written by Dan Jurgens with art by Carlo Barberi, Ben Reilly: The Scarlet Spider #1, written by Peter David with art by Mark Bagley, and Detective Comics #955, written by James Tynion IV with art by Marcio Takara!Crisis On Infinite Midlivesyes74:4111598Episode 147: iPatchhttp://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2017/04/24/episode-147-ipatch/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2017/04/24/episode-147-ipatch/#respondTue, 25 Apr 2017 02:02:22 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=11592And lo, we return to you from lands afar, with the legendary tale of The Mighty Conquest of the Editing Robot with the Holy Union of the Irish and Columbia or: How We Killed Our Podcast Editing Computer with a Cup of Irish Coffee!

Seriously, we’re back after some serious technical difficulties, but ready to discuss the annual sale of passes to San Diego Comic-Con, and how we’ll be covering at least part of the event from on site. We’re excited to be returning for the first time since 2014… but we can still be irritated by having to suffer through the experience of the Blue Ring of Failure.

But it was a big week for comics, both good and bad, so we spend most of the episode discussing the high and lowlights, including:

Nick Fury #1, written by James Robinson with art by Aco,

Secret Empire #0, written by Nick Spencer with art by Daniel Acuna,

The Shaolin Cowboy: Who’ll Stop the Reign? #1, written and drawn by Geof Darrow, and:

Batman #21, written by Tom King with art by Jason Fabok!

And, as usual, the disclaimers:

We experienced a technical problem where a crackling sound becomes apparent during the last several minutes of the show. We ran it through a couple of filters to minimize it, but it’s obvious, and while the audio never becomes inaudible, it is irritating. We apologize, and we swear that our backup system to avoid this will totally work next time this happens, because we will totally remember to turn it on.

The show contains spoilers. If you don’t want to know what universe Batman comes close to this week, well, you must be a new listener! Nice to meet you!

This show contains adult, profane language, and is not safe for work. If you don’t want your mom to hear about how Batman makes Reverse Flash see God, then get some headphones.

Thanks for listening, suckers!

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2017/04/24/episode-147-ipatch/feed/0And lo, we return to you from lands afar, with the legendary tale of The Mighty Conquest of the Editing Robot with the Holy Union of the Irish and Columbia or: How We Killed Our Podcast Editing Computer with a Cup of Irish Coffee! Seriously,And lo, we return to you from lands afar, with the legendary tale of The Mighty Conquest of the Editing Robot with the Holy Union of the Irish and Columbia or: How We Killed Our Podcast Editing Computer with a Cup of Irish Coffee! Seriously, we’re back after some serious technical difficulties, but ready to discuss […]Crisis On Infinite Midlivesyes82:5411592Accidentally Preventing Skynethttp://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2017/04/19/accidentally-preventing-skynet/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2017/04/19/accidentally-preventing-skynet/#respondThu, 20 Apr 2017 00:03:13 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=11589Rob here. If you’ve listened to even a single episode of our show, you know that I enjoy the occasional fine adult beverage. Sometimes, however, said beverages make me infantile, in the sense that I deny that I should go to bed, even as I am nodding off while watching Guardians of The Galaxy at midnight. However, since I am not actually an infant, I have the ability to try to stave off bedtime by brewing up a pot of coffee. And since I enjoy adult beverages, I also have the ability to fortify said coffee with a heavy pour of Tennessee whiskey.

If you’ve ever enjoyed a fine adult beverage, you know that after enough of them, particularly when switching from beer to whiskey, they can have an adverse effect on your fine motor control. Sometimes this leads to dropping things. Things like coffee cups. And sometimes, those cups will spill in unfortunate ways. Ways like, I don’t know… directly into the power supply fan port of the computer you use to edit your podcast. You know, the machine that contains all the regular sound elements and the configured audio editor you need to actually complete an episode.

The machine died painlessly, but instantly, meaning I’ve had to replace it. This means ordering parts – friends don’t let friends buy computers at big box stores – and waiting for them to arrive. The main machine is here, but a couple of key components aren’t coming until this afternoon.

Even worse, it means reconstructing your data. Luckily, a certain amount was backed up to the cloud. Unluckily, all of that data was encrypted, meaning recovering the keys from an old cell phone. Which worked, and worked far more reliably than trying to get a seven-year-old internal hard drive (the drives, luckily, were on the other side of the machine, and mounted toward the top of the case) to connect to a shiny new machine via a USB connection. Oh, it can be done, but it requires command line tools and time. Like, six to eight hours per drive. Times three drives.

Long story short: as much data as possible is busily being recovered and copied to the new machine, and the remaining parts will be attached and running in the next couple of days. So there WILL be a new episode next week. Probably not about Ghost in the Shell, as that movie died to fast I think it’s on SyFy in the next few days, but barring unforeseen catastrophe, there WILL BE AN EPISODE.

So thanks to you listeners who reached out via email and Facebook to make sure we’re alive. We’re fine. I’m horribly embarrassed and several hundred bucks poorer, but fine nonetheless.

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2017/04/19/accidentally-preventing-skynet/feed/011589Technology is Hardhttp://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2017/04/04/technology-is-hard/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2017/04/04/technology-is-hard/#respondWed, 05 Apr 2017 00:27:27 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=11576So, funny story: we fully intended to do this week’s episode on the new Scarlett Johansson live-action remake of Ghost in The Shell. We took early notes on this week’s comics to make sure we had time to absorb other Ghost in The Shell material. We got a copy of the original 1995 anime. We borrowed a copy of the manga to at least look at. We watched and read these items, all by Saturday, giving us plenty of time to catch the remake on the 2:10 p.m.Sunday matinee, tape Sunday night, and post the episode on Monday. Flawless plan, right?

Sure it is. Assuming the fancy movie scheduling app on your phone is pointed to the theater you’re actually going to. Which mine wasn’t. Meaning we were only 55 minutes late.

We then planned to catch the 7:10 p.m. Monday showing, throw some notes together, and tape the show tonight, but the people who give me money with which I use to live had other plans.

So, here we are. But here’s the good news: we have tickets in hand for tomorrow night after we pick up this week’s comics. So we will have an episode on Ghost in The Shell next week. And the good news is that it also will give you time to go see it! Because apparently, none of you did!

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2017/04/04/technology-is-hard/feed/011576Episode 146: Kenny Powers of The Seahttp://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2017/03/28/episode-146-kenny-powers-of-the-sea/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2017/03/28/episode-146-kenny-powers-of-the-sea/#respondTue, 28 Mar 2017 23:42:15 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=11571Sometimes, the best laid plans to watch thirteen episodes of Iron Fist on Netflix and talk about them on the Internet go wrong, particularly when one of your hosts is on call for work all weekend, and when neither of your hosts are particularly engaged by Kung-Fu stories.

However, this week gave us the releases of two comics-related movies: Justice League and Spider-Man: Homecoming, with two very different strategies. One sketched out the general plot of its movie so completely, you almost don’t need to see the movie, while the other spent three minutes trying to convince us that Aquaman is somehow more compelling as a mouthy drunk. So we talk briefly about the trailers, which worked better for us, and how we desperately hope that Zack Snyder has a win in him.

We also discuss:

Iron Fist #1, written by Ed Brisson with art by Mike Perkins,

Suicide Squad #14, written by Rob WIlliams with art by John Romita Jr. and Eddy Barrows, and:

Action Comics #976, written by Dan Jurgens with art by Mike Perkins!

And, the disclaimers:

Because of time constraints, this episode was recorded live to tape.

This show contains spoilers. If you don’t want to know how Action Comics #976 ends, congratulations! We both like the original Watchmen!

This show contains adult, profane language, and is therefore not safe for work. If you don’t want your mom to overhead why we think Mr. Mxyzptlk would ask Dr. Manhattan, “Why so blue?” get yourself some headphones.

Thanks for listening, suckers!

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2017/03/28/episode-146-kenny-powers-of-the-sea/feed/0Sometimes, the best laid plans to watch thirteen episodes of Iron Fist on Netflix and talk about them on the Internet go wrong, particularly when one of your hosts is on call for work all weekend, and when neither of your hosts are particularly engaged...This week gave us the releases of two comics-related movies: Justice League and Spider-Man: Homecoming, with two very different strategies. One sketched out the general plot of its movie so completely, you almost don't need to see the movie, while the other spent three minutes trying to convince us that Aquaman is somehow more compelling as a mouthy drunk. So we talk briefly about the trailers, which worked better for us, and how we desperately hope that Zack Snyder has a win in him.<br />
<br />
We also discuss Iron Fist #1, written by Ed Brisson with art by Mike Perkins, Suicide Squad #14, written by Rob WIlliams with art by John Romita Jr. and Eddy Barrows, and Action Comics #976, written by Dan Jurgens with art by Mike Perkins!Crisis On Infinite Midlivesyes72:0011571Carsickhttp://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2017/03/20/carsick/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2017/03/20/carsick/#respondTue, 21 Mar 2017 01:42:36 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=11568We apologize, but there won’t be a new episode this week. We had good intentions, but Rob met up with some old college buddies this weekend, and traveled to his old college town for an informal mini-reunion. Which is fine, and our original intention was to record a show after Rob got home… but for some reason, while surrounded by college friends in his college town, Rob decided to act like he was still in college. You know, those days almost a quarter century ago, when Rob could spend ten hours drinking, several hours in a car, and then do things like record a podcast, or anything more strenuous than sleeping and sometimes whimpering.

We will be back next week, probably with an episode about Marvel’s Iron Fist on Netflix. After all, it’s getting such good press!

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2017/03/20/carsick/feed/011568Episode 145: Stick Figures With Boobshttp://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2017/03/14/episode-145-stick-figures-with-boobs/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2017/03/14/episode-145-stick-figures-with-boobs/#respondWed, 15 Mar 2017 00:35:57 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=11561Yes, we’re a day late again, but after a weekend of pulling, cleaning and replacing every connection on the board, at least, unlike last week, this episode doesn’t sound like we’re talking through a bowl of Rice Krispies.

This weekend, the first full trailer for DC Films’ Wonder Woman dropped, and as big DC Comics fans, we desperately want this one to be known forever as “The First Really Good DC Comics Flick.” So we spend a little time talking about the trailer and the movie. We specifically talk about how by using World War I they’re simultaneously covering historical ground that existed before even comic books, while also forcing comics fans to say, “Yeah: Captain America: The First Avenger, only older and crustier.” We also touch on the fact that the average American public school graduate would could only identify a major “bad guy” of WWI if spotted an hour, Google, and their family members as hostage in the event they failed.

We also discuss:

Man-Thing #1, written by R. L. Stine with art by German Peralta and Daniel Johnson,

Nancy Drew and The Hardy Boys: The Big Lie #1, written by Anthony Del Col with art by Werther Dell’ Edera, and:

Action Comics #975, written by Dan Jurgens and Paul Dini with art by Doug Mahnke and Ian Churchill!

And, the usual disclaimers:

This show contains spoilers. If you don’t want to know Clark Kent’s secret identity (this actually is a trick question), then get consider yourself warned.

This show contains adult, profane language, and is therefore not safe for work. You think your significant other wants to hear jokes about Squirrel Girl pulling nuts out of the Giant-Sized Man-Thing? Get some ear buds.

Thanks for listening, suckers!

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2017/03/14/episode-145-stick-figures-with-boobs/feed/0Yes, we’re a day late again, but after a weekend of pulling, cleaning and replacing every connection on the board, at least, unlike last week, this episode doesn’t sound like we’re talking through a bowl of Rice Krispies. This weekend,This weekend, the first full trailer for DC Films' Wonder Woman dropped, and as big DC Comics fans, we desperately want this one to be known forever as "The First Really Good DC Comics Flick." So we spend a little time talking about the trailer and the movie,.We specifically talk about how by using World War I they're simultaneously covering historical ground that existed before even comic books, while also forcing comics fans to say, "Yeah: Captain America: The First Avenger, only older and crustier." We also touch on the fact that the average American public school graduate would could only identify a major "bad guy" of WWI if spotted an hour, Google, and their family members as hostage in the event they failed.<br />
<br />
We also discuss: Man-Thing #1, written by R. L. Stine with art by German Peralta and Daniel Johnson, Nancy Drew and The Hardy Boys: The Big Lie #1, written by Anthony Del Col with art by Werther Dell' Edera, and: Action Comics #975, written by Dan Jurgens and Paul Dini with art by Doug Mahnke and Ian Churchill!Crisis On Infinite Midlivesyes76:4611561Episode 144: Feline Tertiary Syphilishttp://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2017/03/07/episode-144-feline-tertiary-syphilis/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2017/03/07/episode-144-feline-tertiary-syphilis/#respondWed, 08 Mar 2017 02:51:17 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=11557Yes, we’re a day late, and for that, we’re sorry. But it’s a jam-packed show this week, so we wanted to take the time to get it right. That, and we had weird audio issues it took a while to resolved, but let’s focus on the positive.

First, we discuss some long-awaited and welcome comics news: Matt Wagner’s announcement at ECCC that Mage: The Hero Denied, which has been promised since the conclusion of the first Mage series in 1986 and the end of the second in 1999, will begin this July. Mage is rarely mentioned in the same breath with other 80s classic series like Watchmen, but it’s one of the first examples of urban fantasy out there, and one of our personal favorites.

And then there’s Logan. Which was Rob’s choice for most-anticipated genre movie of 2017 (a choice for which he took some static), and for once, it’s almost like Rob knew what he was talking about. We discuss Logan, how it’s less a superhero movie than it is a western (and, as a western, the Unforgiven of comic book movies), and, even with all those qualifications, one of the best comic book movies ever made.

We also discuss:

Batman #18, written by Tom King with art by David Finch, and:

Savage Things #1, written by Justin Jordan with art by Ibrahim Moustafa!

And, the usual warnings:

This show contains spoilers. If you haven’t seen Logan yet and don’t want to know whether or not we’re making up the fact that Jubilee saves Logan’s soul from Mephisto, consider yourself warned.

This show contains adult, profane language, and is therefore not safe for work. Look at this episode’s title. Think about the discussion surrounding that title. Listen with headphones.

And, one last disclaimer: there is some unexplained static in the show’s recording, for about ten minutes, starting at about the one hour, five minute mark. We’ve run the audio through a couple of filters to minimize the crackling, but it’s still noticeable and the audio will sound somewhat processed during that time. A thousand apologies; we’ll send your refund to the usual address.

Thanks for listening, suckers!

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2017/03/07/episode-144-feline-tertiary-syphilis/feed/0Yes, we’re a day late, and for that, we’re sorry. But it’s a jam-packed show this week, so we wanted to take the time to get it right. That, and we had weird audio issues it took a while to resolved, but let’s focus on the positive. First,First, we discuss some long-awaited and welcome comics news: Matt Wagner's announcement at ECCC that Mage: The Hero Denied, which has been promised since the conclusion of the first Mage series in 1986 and the end of the second in 1999, will begin this July. Mage is rarely mentioned in the same breath with other 80s classic series like Watchmen, but it's one of the first examples of urban fantasy out there, and one of our personal favorites.<br />
<br />
And then there's Logan. Which was Rob's choice for most-anticipated genre movie of 2017 (a choice for which he took some static), and for once, it's almost like Rob knew what he was talking about. We discuss Logan, how it's less a superhero movie than it is a western (and, as a western, the Unforgiven of comic book movies), and, even with all those qualifications, one of the best comic book movies ever made.<br />
<br />
We also discuss Batman #18, written by Tom King with art by David Finch, and Savage Things #1, written by Justin Jordan with art by Ibrahim Moustafa!Crisis On Infinite Midlivesyes89:3511557Episode 143: Purple Monkey Slashfichttp://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2017/02/27/episode-143-purple-monkey-slashfic/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2017/02/27/episode-143-purple-monkey-slashfic/#respondTue, 28 Feb 2017 02:17:19 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=11552As we move slowly into convention season, there is kind of a dearth of interesting comics news to work through some weeks. Oh sure, we could weigh in on Marvel’s comments at ComicsPRO that the reason their sales are down is because of DC shipping cheaper books, but that’s a little inside baseball even for us. And besides: we all know that the people at Marvel will say absolutely anything if it means Issac Perlmutter turns his Sauron doom-eye back toward Kevin Feige.

So this week, we stick with talking this weeks’ comics, including:

Justice League of America #1, written by Steve Orlando with art by Ivan Reis,

Darkness Visible #1, written by Mike Carey and Arvind Ethan David with art by Brendan Cahill,

The Old Guard #1, written by Greg Rucka with art by Leandro Fernandez

Hulk #3, written by Mariko Tamaki with art by Nico Leon, and:

The Amazing Spider-Man #24, written by Dan Slott and Christos Gage with art by Giuseppe Camuncoli!

However, the disclaimers:

This show contains spoilers. If you don’t want to know how many of this week’s comic books actually feature The Hulk (hint: it’s one fewer than you’d think!), then consider yourself forewarned.

This show contains adult, profane language, and is therefore not safe for work. Let’s just say that Rob curses enough about The Clone Conspiracy this week to make the phrase “Ben Reilly” an obscenity by association. So consider using earbuds.

Thanks for listening, suckers!

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2017/02/27/episode-143-purple-monkey-slashfic/feed/0As we move slowly into convention season, there is kind of a dearth of interesting comics news to work through some weeks. Oh sure, we could weigh in on Marvel’s comments at ComicsPRO that the reason their sales are down is because of DC shipping cheap...As we move slowly into convention season, there is kind of a dearth of interesting comics news to work through some weeks. Oh sure, we could weigh in on Marvel's comments at ComicsPRO that the reason their sales are down is because of DC shipping cheaper books, but that's a little inside baseball even for us. And besides: we all know that the people at Marvel will say absolutely anything if it means Issac Perlmutter turns his Sauron doom-eye back toward Kevin Feige.<br />
<br />
So this week, we stick with talking this weeks' comics, including: Justice League of America #1, written by Steve Orlando with art by Ivan Reis, Darkness Visible #1, written by Mike Carey and Arvind Ethan David with art by Brendan Cahill, The Old Guard #1, written by Greg Rucka with art by Leandro Fernandez, Hulk #3, written by Mariko Tamaki with art by Nico Leon, and The Amazing Spider-Man #24, written by Dan Slott and Christos Gage with art by Giuseppe Camuncoli!Crisis On Infinite Midlivesyes88:4111552Episode 142: Polonium Whiskeyhttp://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2017/02/20/episode-142-polonium-whiskey/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2017/02/20/episode-142-polonium-whiskey/#respondTue, 21 Feb 2017 02:50:22 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=11546We are living in an age where we are spoiled for choice, when it comes to comics-related television shows. From The Flash to Supergirl to The Walking Dead to Cinemax’s Outcast to the (possibly) upcoming Scalped on WGN America, there’s something for everyone… which is why we weren’t particularly excited for FX’s Legion, based on a mid-90’s New Mutant and set in the oldest and arguably stalest of the modern comics cinematic universes. We only decided to watch it because we have a comics podcast, which means that you need something to talk about.

But watch it we did, thinking we were taking one for the team, but finding one of the smarter and more intriguing comic book television shows – if not filmed genre properties, period – we’ve seen in recent memory. It’s a show based on a funnybook that made us unironically namecheck David Cronenberg and use the word “Kubrickian.” That doesn’t happen every day.

(Oh: and we completely confuse the character Legion with Proteus in this episode. In our defense, these characters appeared in prominent mid-90s X-Men stories, making them, by their very nature, very, very forgettable.)

We also discuss:

Amazing Spider-Man: The Clone Conspiracy #5, written by Dan Slott with art by Jim Cheung, and:

The Wild Storm #1, written by Warren Ellis with art by Jon Davis-Hunt!

And now, as usual, the disclaimers:

This show contains spoilers. If you don’t want to know the greater plot of the Legion pilot, well, listening to this show won’t help you. But still: consider yourself warned.

This show contains adult, profane language, and is therefore not safe for work. If you don’t want your Mom to know which comics property we believe should have been called “The Brown Note,” get some headphones.

Thanks for listening, suckers!

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2017/02/20/episode-142-polonium-whiskey/feed/0We are living in an age where we are spoiled for choice, when it comes to comics-related television shows. From The Flash to Supergirl to The Walking Dead to Cinemax’s Outcast to the (possibly) upcoming Scalped on WGN America,We are living in an age where we are spoiled for choice, when it comes to comics-related television shows. From The Flash to Supergirl to The Walking Dead to Cinemax's Outcast to the (possibly) upcoming Scalped on WGN America, there's something for everyone... which is why we weren't particularly excited for FX's Legion, based on a mid-90's New Mutant and set in the oldest and arguably stalest of the modern comics cinematic universes. We only decided to watch it because we have a comics podcast, which means that you need something to talk about.<br />
<br />
But watch it we did, thinking we were taking one for the team, but finding one of the smarter and more intriguing comic book television shows - if not filmed genre properties, period - we've seen in recent memory. It's a show based on a funnybook that made us unironically namecheck David Cronenberg and use the word "Kubrickian." That doesn't happen every day.<br />
<br />
We also discuss Amazing Spider-Man: The Clone Conspiracy #5, written by Dan Slott with art by Jim Cheung, and The Wild Storm #1, written by Warren Ellis with art by Jon Davis-Hunt!Crisis On Infinite Midlivesyes84:2211546Return To The Plague Motelhttp://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2017/02/16/return-to-the-plague-motel/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2017/02/16/return-to-the-plague-motel/#respondFri, 17 Feb 2017 01:35:37 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=11542I know we are wicked late with any word about the show this week, but it is because we – Rob in particular – have been as sick as morons at a Mountain Dew geyser since Friday night. Like, wake up, take pills that can be turned into methamphetamines, fall asleep, wake up, swill Robitussin with a Kaopectate chaser, repeat until Wednesday kinda sick.

But we are quickly recovering, have this week’s comics safely in hand, and will have a new episode recorded and online early next week.

Thanks for your patience and for hanging with us.

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2017/02/16/return-to-the-plague-motel/feed/011542Punt on First Downhttp://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2017/02/07/punt-on-first-down/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2017/02/07/punt-on-first-down/#respondWed, 08 Feb 2017 01:46:08 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=11539Wow, did you see that Super Bowl the other night? Didn’t you think it was amazing when the New England Patriots came from behind to defeat the Atlanta Falcons, after being behind for the entire game? Didn’t you think it was amazing?

Yeah, neither did we. Or at least, Neither did Rob. Because, like a technical genius, he decided to upgrade this Web site literally nine minutes before kickoff. And, being Rob, he fucked it all up.

So he spent a large part of Super Bowl Sunday just getting the site to work again. And a large part of Super Bowl Hangover Monday making it so podcasts would have their feed again. And a small part of Let’s Pretend To Be Sick At Work So We Can Attend The Patriots Rally In Boston Tuesday making sure that new podcasts would be added to the feed when they were put “on the air.”

And all of that seems to be working… but it meant that we had no time to actually prepare for an actual podcast this week, let alone have a place in which we could broadcast it.

However: we will be back on Monday with a new show, mostly complaining about the new DC / Warner Bros. show Powerless,

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2017/02/07/punt-on-first-down/feed/011539Episode 141: Exposition and Necrophiliahttp://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2017/01/31/episode-141-exposition-and-necrophilia/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2017/01/31/episode-141-exposition-and-necrophilia/#respondWed, 01 Feb 2017 01:59:52 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=11533Yes, we are late after a weird weekend, but we still have a good show for you! A show barely prepared for, fueled by caffeine and alcohol, but as far as shows go: this is one!

Anyway, for the past few years, DC Films seems to have gauged whether or not to proceed making live action films of some of their lesser-known comics properties by releasing direct-to-video animated versions of them to see if they’ll stick. They did it with Suicide Squad three years ago, and now they’re doing it with the cast of the proposed Dark Universe movie with Justice League Dark, which was released last week.

We are big John Constantine fans (and kinda fans of the New 52 Justice League Dark), so we watched the movie and discuss the return of Matt Ryan to the role, how Batman fits into a mostly magical cast, why Black Orchid is almost literally filler, and why seeing Green Lantern being lightly tazed is almost always worth nearly any price of admission.

In addition: this week gave us the first two issues of what will become Marvel’s next event, Secret Empire. We have been nothing if not vocal here about how much a bummer Civil War II was, and now that we’re staring down the barrel of a story about a literal Nazi taking over the United States, well, we have strong opinions. And we even try to have those strong opinions without talking too much about current American politics.

As a palate cleanser, we also discuss Deathstroke #11, written by Priest, with pencils by Denys Cowan and inks by Bill Sienkiewicz!

But here’s the disclosures:

This show contains spoilers. If you don’t want to know why spending a few months with Nazi Captain America might be a depressing idea, you have been warned.

This show contains adult, profane language, and is therefore not safe for work. If you don’t want to explain to your mom why “catharsis: isn’t the same as some form of “reaching around”, then listen in your car or something.

Thanks for listening, suckers!

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2017/01/31/episode-141-exposition-and-necrophilia/feed/0Yes, we are late after a weird weekend, but we still have a good show for you! A show barely prepared for, fueled by caffeine and alcohol, but as far as shows go: this is one! Anyway, for the past few years,For the past few years, DC Films seems to have gauged whether or not to proceed making live action films of some of their lesser-known comics properties by releasing direct-to-video animated versions of them to see if they'll stick. They did it with Suicide Squad three years ago, and now they're doing it with the cast of the proposed Dark Universe movie with Justice League Dark, which was released last week.<br />
<br />
We are big John Constantine fans (and kinda fans of the New 52 Justice League Dark), so we watched the movie and discuss the return of Matt Ryan to the role, how Batman fits into a mostly magical cast, why Black Orchid is almost literally filler, and why seeing Green Lantern being lightly tazed is almost always worst nearly any price of admission.<br />
<br />
In addition: this week gave us the first two issues of what will become Marvel's next event, Secret Empire. We have been nothing if not vocal here about how much a bummer Civil War II was, and now that we're staring down the barrel of a story about a literal Nazi taking over the United States, well, we have strong opinions. And we even try to have those strong opinions without talking too much about current American politics.<br />
<br />
As a palate cleanser, we also discuss Deathstroke #11, written by Priest, with pencils by Denys Cowan and inks by Bill Sienkiewicz!Crisis On Infinite Midlivesyes87:3311533Episode 140: The Soft Emo Underbelly of Batmanhttp://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2017/01/23/episode-140-the-soft-emo-underbelly-of-batman/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2017/01/23/episode-140-the-soft-emo-underbelly-of-batman/#respondTue, 24 Jan 2017 03:42:09 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=11528It was a weird week for comics and genre news. Having recorded this episode one day before the announcement of the official title of the new Star Wars movie (spoiler alert: the spoiler is that the title is Star Wars: The Last Jedi), the only comics related news was whether it was still kosher, so to speak, to sucker-punch a Nazi, Captain America style.

(Editor’s Note: we discuss the Nazi-punching issue very, very briefly, only to come to the conclusion that, to paraphrase a famous American: if Jake Blues does it, it cannot be illegal.)

So this week, we skip most of the news, and go straight to the comics. We discuss:

Batman #15, written by Tom King with art by Mitch Gerads,

The Amazing Spider-Man: The Clone Conspiracy #4, written by Dan Slott with art by Jim Cheung,

The Ray: Rebirth #1, written by Steve Orlando with art by Stephen Byrne,

Angel: Season 11 #1, written by Corinna Bechko with art by Geraldo Borges, and:

Curse Words #1, written by Charles Soule with art by Ryan Browne!

And, as always, the disclaimers:

This show contains spoilers. If you don’t want to find out why, thanks to Catwoman, Batman is no longer the M Night Shaymalan, turn back now.

This show contains adult, profane language, and is therefore not safe for work. If you don’t want your significant other to learn what happens when you mix juniper and romilar, get some of those Airpods or something.

Thanks for listening, suckers!

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2017/01/23/episode-140-the-soft-emo-underbelly-of-batman/feed/0It was a weird week for comics and genre news. Having recorded this episode one day before the announcement of the official title of the new Star Wars movie (spoiler alert: the spoiler is that the title is Star Wars: The Last Jedi),It was a weird week for comics and genre news. Having recorded this episode one day before the announcement of the official title of the new Star Wars movie (spoiler alert: the spoiler is that the title is Star Wars: The Last Jedi), the only comics related news was whether it was still kosher, so to speak, to sucker-punch a Nazi, Captain America style.<br />
<br />
So this week, we skip most of the news, and go straight to the comics. We discuss:<br />
<br />
Batman #15, written by Tom King with art by Mitch Gerads, The Amazing Spider-Man: The Clone Conspiracy #4, written by Dan Slott with art by Jim Cheung, The Ray: Rebirth #1, written by Steve Orlando with art by Stephen Byrne, Angel: Season 11 #1, written by Corinna Bechko with art by Geraldo Borges, and Curse Words #1, written by Charles Soule with art by Ryan Browne!Crisis On Infinite Midlivesyes81:3411528Episode 139: This Time It’s Personal: The 2016 Crises Awardshttp://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2017/01/16/episode-139-this-time-its-personal-the-2016-crises-awards/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2017/01/16/episode-139-this-time-its-personal-the-2016-crises-awards/#respondTue, 17 Jan 2017 01:35:51 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=11525It’s awards season, and you know what that means: networks will cynically use the concept of an awards show to fill time by looking back at old entertainment rather than looking forward and creating something new. By which we mean: welcome to the third annual Crisis On Infinite Midlives Crises awards!

2016 was a weird year for comics and genre entertainment: there was some spectacular work from areas that no one would have guessed even a year ago, and some real garbage fires from people and organizations who one would think we could count on. And we go back and sift through all of it, one last time, before we move onward and upward into an uncertain year where Wolverine will retire, Spider-Man will come home, Warren Ellis will regain his authority, and we choose to believe that General Leia Organa will, to coin a phrase, just fade away.

In this episode, we discuss:

Best and worst comic series / miniseries

Best and worst comic event

Best single issue

Best and worst genre movie

Best and worst genre TV

Biggest surprise and disappointment of 2016, and:

Most and least anticipated entertainments of 2017!

And, the disclaimers:

This show contains spoilers. That said: this show contains discussions about all comics and genre entertainment of 2016. You’ve had a lot of time to get up to speed here. Still and all: consider yourself warned.

This show contains adult, profane language, and is therefore not safe for work. We talk about CIvil War II and Spider-Clones here, which means we’ll use language that will get you fired. Get some headphones.

Thanks for listening, suckers!

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2017/01/16/episode-139-this-time-its-personal-the-2016-crises-awards/feed/0It’s awards season, and you know what that means: networks will cynically use the concept of an awards show to fill time by looking back at old entertainment rather than looking forward and creating something new.It's awards season, and you know what that means: networks will cynically use the concept of an awards show to fill time by looking back at old entertainment rather than looking forward and creating something new. By which we mean: welcome to the third annual Crisis On Infinite Midlives Crises awards!<br />
<br />
2016 was a weird year for comics and genre entertainment: there was some spectacular work from areas that no one would have guessed even a year ago, and some real garbage fires from people and organizations who one would think we could count on. And we go back and sift through all of it, one last time, before we move onward and upward into an uncertain year where Wolverine will retire, Spider-Man will come home, Warren Ellis will regain his authority, and we choose to believe that General Leia Organa will, to coin a phrase, just fade away.Crisis On Infinite Midlivesyes11525Down With The Sicknesshttp://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2017/01/10/down-with-the-sickness/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2017/01/10/down-with-the-sickness/#respondTue, 10 Jan 2017 23:23:49 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=11522Sorry for the lack of an episode this week; Amanda became ill with a fairly significant cold, right as Boston was hit with the first solid winter storm of the season requiring me to shovel, so by the time showtime rolled around, neither of us was in much condition to talk comics.

But Amanda is recovering nicely, and I am once again able to feel my lower back. So we will be back next Monday with our annual Crises awards! Our Lifetime Achievement Award is still open, so if any comics pro wants to pull a Streep at Dan DiDio or Axel Alonso, hit us up ASAP! We need the press!

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2017/01/10/down-with-the-sickness/feed/011522Episode 138: Doctor Superman: The Quest For Plothttp://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2017/01/02/episode-138-doctor-superman-the-quest-for-plot/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2017/01/02/episode-138-doctor-superman-the-quest-for-plot/#commentsTue, 03 Jan 2017 02:28:17 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=11517It is the holiday season, and while that means things like delayed flights, family political battles and regifting, it also means the annual Doctor Who Christmas Special. And this year’s, The Return of Doctor Mysterio, was a double whammy: not only was it the first Doctor Who story in almost a year, but it was about an American superhero.

So we discuss the story, both on a Doctor Who and a superhero story level. And while we don’t want to spoil anything, we learn that there’s a reason why it’s maybe not a good idea for a British television writer to tackle an American superhero story. We’re guessing it’s the same reason it wouldn’t be a good idea for the guy who created The Cape to write an episode of Doctor Who.

We also discuss:

Civil War II #8 written by Brian Michael Bendis with art by David Marquez, and:

DK III: The Master Race #7, written by Frank Miller and Brian Azzarello, with art by Adam Kubert, Klaus Janson and Frank Miller!

And, the usual disclaimers:

This show contains spoilers. So if you don’t want to know who loses at the end of Civil War II, you should avoid this show. And probably mirrors.

This show contains adult, profane language, and this therefore not safe for work. Unless you think your mom wants to know what Marti Noxon might do with Naked Batman, maybe use your holiday Airpods.

Happy New Year, suckers!

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2017/01/02/episode-138-doctor-superman-the-quest-for-plot/feed/1It is the holiday season, and while that means things like delayed flights, family political battles and regifting, it also means the annual Doctor Who Christmas Special. And this year’s, The Return of Doctor Mysterio,It is the holiday season, and while that means things like delayed flights, family political battles and regifting, it also means the annual Doctor Who Christmas Special. And this year’s, The Return of Doctor Mysterio, was a double whammy: not only was it the first Doctor Who story in almost a year, but it was […]Crisis On Infinite Midlivesyes97:2011517Happy Life Day, Chewiehttp://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2016/12/26/happy-life-day-chewie/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2016/12/26/happy-life-day-chewie/#commentsMon, 26 Dec 2016 18:53:02 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=11514Due to the holiday (and a delayed flight), there won’t be a new episode this week.

We should be back with a new one next week. You know, assuming an airline that will remain nameless can, between now and then, find the wherewithal to take off on time from a straight runway on a clear day.

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2016/12/26/happy-life-day-chewie/feed/211514Episode 137: Alderaan Truthers, or: Swipe Right on Lobothttp://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2016/12/20/episode-137-alderaan-truthers-or-swipe-right-on-lobot/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2016/12/20/episode-137-alderaan-truthers-or-swipe-right-on-lobot/#respondTue, 20 Dec 2016 04:04:25 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=11507Rogue One: A Star Wars Story opened this past weekend, and, if you’re any kind of regular listener to the show, you know that we’re from Generation X, and therefore addicted to Star Wars. And not only that, but everyone we know is from Generation X and feels the same way. And luckily, most of the people we know are professional stand-up comedians.

So this week, we’re joined not only by frequent guest, New York comedian Benari Poulten, but a long time friend, Boston comedian and original member of the Star Wars Fan Club Greg Boggis. And while we’re Star Wars fans all, we all had differing levels of enthusiasm for this movie, differing levels of advance knowledge about the flick, and certainly differences of opinion about what we wanted from the first live-action Star Wars movie that didn’t follow the main plot.

So we discuss the movie, how it fit into out own personal Star Wars canon, whether or not we’re sick of lightsabers, how to deal with Cutscene Tarkin and Realdoll Leia, and the hazards of living in a world of Stormtroopers in a stop and frisk world where walking while blue is a crime.

And, as always, the disclaimers:

This show contains massive spoilers about Rogue One almost from the first minute, So if you don’t want to be spoiled about any plot points, well, clearly you accidentally Googled “comics podcasts” instead of “comics pornography.” Retry your search.

This show contains adult, profane language, and is therefore not safe for work. No one ever got promoted when their boss heard a few northeastern comedians screaming about False Flag Rex Trailer. So, for your career’s sake, get some headphones.

Thanks for listening, suckers!

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2016/12/20/episode-137-alderaan-truthers-or-swipe-right-on-lobot/feed/0Rogue One: A Star Wars Story opened this past weekend, and, if you’re any kind of regular listener to the show, you know that we’re from Generation X, and therefore addicted to Star Wars. And not only that,Rogue One: A Star Wars Story opened this past weekend, and, if you're any kind of regular listener to the show, you know that we're from Generation X, and therefore addicted to Star Wars. And not only that, but everyone we know is from Generation X and feels the same way. And luckily, most of the people we know are professional stand-up comedians.<br />
<br />
So this week, we're joined not only by frequent guest, New York comedian Benari Poulten, but a long time friend, Boston comedian and original member of the Star Wars Fan Club Greg Boggis. And while we're Star Wars fans all, we all had differing levels of enthusiasm for this movie, differing levels of advance knowledge aboue the flick, and certainly differences of opinion about what we wanted from the first live-action Star Wars movie that didn't follow the main plot.<br />
<br />
So we discuss the movie, how it fit into out own personal Star Wars canon, whether or not we're sick of lightsabers, how to deal with Cutscene Tarkin and Realdoll Leia, and the hazards of living in a world of Stormtroopers in a stop and frisk world where walking while blue is a crime.Crisis On Infinite Midlivesyes11507Episode 136: I Am The One Who Yubshttp://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2016/12/12/episode-136-i-am-the-one-who-yubs/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2016/12/12/episode-136-i-am-the-one-who-yubs/#respondTue, 13 Dec 2016 03:53:13 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=11500

“That’s what I love about these [Spider-Men], man… I get older, they stay the same age.” -Michael Keaton (unconfirmed) (probably made up) (I totally made this up)

So we’re on our third person playing Spider-Man since the last time we had a Glutton Bowl, which seems not only unfair, but kinda wasteful. However, this time we have a Spider-Man working within the Marvel Cinematic Universe, played by an actual (almost) teenager, and who seems able to tell a joke better than, “Hi! I am Tobey Maguire, and I am seventeen years old! Why are you looking at me like that?”

And since the first trailers for Spider-Man: Homecoming were released last week, we spend a few minutes talking about some of the details, how some elements of Brian Michael Bendis’s Mile Morales seem to have been integrated into Peter Parker’s story, how cool it is to see Michael Keaton in a real superhero movie again, and how none of this gets around the truth about how hard it is to get excited about our third Peter Parker less than ten years.

But talking about a trailer does not a podcast make. So we also discuss:

Spider-Man: The Clone Conspiracy #3, written by Dan Slott with art by Jim Cheung,

Wonder Woman ’77 and The Bionic Woman, written by Andy Mangels with art by Judit Tondora,

This show contains spoilers. If you don’t want to know who The Jackal offers to resurrect for Spider-Man, then you’re clearly not thinking about The Clone Conspiracy even a little bit, but still: consider yourself warned.

This show contains adult, profane language, and is therefore not safe for work. If you think your mom might be disturbed to hear what its like to “pull a trailer for Lyle Waggoner,” then get yourself some earbuds.

Thanks for listening, suckers!

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2016/12/12/episode-136-i-am-the-one-who-yubs/feed/0“That’s what I love about these [Spider-Men], man… I get older, they stay the same age.” -Michael Keaton (unconfirmed) (probably made up) (I totally made this up) So we’re on our third person playing Spider-Man since the last time we had a Glutton Bowl...So we're on our third person playing Spider-Man since the last time we had a Glutton Bowl, which seems not only unfair, but kinda wasteful. However, this time we have a Spider-Man working within the Marvel Cinematic Universe, played by an actual (almost) teenager, and who seems able to tell a joke better than, "Hi! I am Tobey Maguire, and I am seventeen years old! Why are you looking at me like that?"<br />
<br />
And since the first trailers for Spider-Man: Homecoming were released last week, we spend a few minutes talking about some of the details, how some elements of Brian Michael Bendis's Mile Morales seem to have been integrated into Peter Parker's story, how cool it is to see Michael Keaton in a real superhero movie again, and how none of this gets around the truth about how hard it is to get excited about our third Peter Parker less than ten years.<br />
<br />
But talking about a trailer does not a podcast make. So we also discuss Spider-Man: The Clone Conspiracy #3, written by Dan Slott with art by Jim Cheung, Wonder Woman '77 and The Bionic Woman, written by Andy Mangels with art by Judit Tondora, Batman #12, written by Tom King with art by Mikel Janin, and Star Wars: Doctor Aphra #1, written by Kieron Gillen with art by Kev Walker and Salvador Larroca!Crisis On Infinite Midlivesyes98:1011500Episode 135: I Like To Light Things On Firehttp://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2016/12/05/episode-135-i-like-to-light-things-on-fire/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2016/12/05/episode-135-i-like-to-light-things-on-fire/#respondTue, 06 Dec 2016 02:09:51 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=11493After a year of superheroes beating on each other in comic books and in not one, but two different cinematic universes, sometimes you just need a good, old-fashioned superhero team-up. You know, where the good guys fight each other at first because of a misunderstanding or mind control or something, then they come together to fight seemingly insurmountable odds, and finally defeat the bad guys.

Some comic publishers seem light on their ability to publish such stories recently (hi, Marvel!), but thankfully, the people in charge of the DC Arrowverse shows on The CW network have us covered. The Invasion! crossover between Arrow, The Flash, Supergirl and DC’s Legends of Tomorrow took place this week, and gave us heroes from four shows and two Earths coming together to battle aliens, the government, and the after effects of time travel. Not to be confused with the after effects of physical travel; you might suffer Montezuma’s Revenge as a result of either, but only one involves a stone axe and your face.

So we discuss the crossover: what worked and what didn’t, what plot points were genius and which were purely for storytelling expediency, which characters and actors shared excellent chemistry, and who should be given more to do considering he once played Superman, for God’s sake.

We also discuss:

The Totally Awesome Hulk #12, written by Greg Pak with art by Mahmud Asrar, and:

Inhumans Vs. X-Men #0, written by Charles Soule with art by Kenneth Rocafort!

Alas, the disclaimers:

This show contains spoilers. If you don’t want to learn why the greatest weapon against an alien invasion might be just one damn pocket? Watch Invasion! before listening and consider yourself duly warned.

We use adult, profane language, so therefore this show is not safe for work. You want your mom to hear us talk about the emotional resonance behind an X-Man trying to get themselves hard as fast as they can? Then get some headphones.

Thanks for listening, suckers!

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2016/12/05/episode-135-i-like-to-light-things-on-fire/feed/0After a year of superheroes beating on each other in comic books and in not one, but two different cinematic universes, sometimes you just need a good, old-fashioned superhero team-up. You know, where the good guys fight each other at first because of ...After a year of superheroes beating on each other in comic books and in not one, but two different cinematic universes, sometimes you just need a good, old-fashioned superhero team-up. You know, where the good guys fight each other at first because of a misunderstanding or mind control or something, then they come together to fight seemingly insurmountable odds, and finally defeat the bad guys.<br />
<br />
Some comic publishers seem light on their ability to publish such stories recently (hi, Marvel!), but thankfully, the people in charge of the DC Arrowverse shows on The CW network have us covered. The Invasion! crossover between Arrow, The Flash, Supergirl and DC's Legends of Tomorrow took place this week, and gave us heroes from four shows and two Earths coming together to battle aliens, the government, and the after effects of time travel. Not to be confused with the after effects of physical travel; you might suffer Montezuma's Revenge as a result of either, but only one involves a stone axe and your face.<br />
<br />
So we discuss the crossover: what worked and what didn't, what plot points were genius and which were purely for storytelling expediency, which characters and actors shared excellent chemistry, and who should be given more to do considering he once played Superman, for God's sake.<br />
<br />
We also discuss The Totally Awesome Hulk #12, written by Greg Pak with art by Mahmud Asrar, and Inhumans Vs. X-Men #0, written by Charles Soule with art by Kenneth Rocafort!Crisis On Infinite Midlivesyes11493Episode 134: Ragegivinghttp://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2016/11/28/episode-134-ragegiving/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2016/11/28/episode-134-ragegiving/#respondTue, 29 Nov 2016 02:17:20 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=11487Last week was Thanksgiving in the United States, a holiday where family members travel for hours and miles to share a table with family members and take a moment to express gratitude for the good things in their life. Then they follow that moment with hours of barely-suppressed acrimony, sarcasm-dipped references to long-buried grievances, and barbed rejoinders about the political beliefs of family. They then disperse to Black Friday sales around the map, taking their frustrations out on fellow shoppers and leading to those awesome fight clips on YouTube.

Rob and Amanda did not go to any Black Friday sales. They did, however, read Civil War II #7, and they do have a comics podcast.

Due to vagaries of comics publishing (and the fact that Civil War II has been late almost since it was solicited), this week we not only discovered the result of the battle between Captain Marvel and Iron Man, but we began to learn the price that certain characters will apparently pay for their roles in suspending the Constitution, ignoring the First, Fourth, Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments, contributing to the deaths of at least three Avengers and arguably sending the Marvel Universe on the road to literal apocalypse.

And we found that price to be wanting.

So we spend a lot of time complaining bitterly about:

Civil War II #7, written by Brian Michael Bendis with art by David Marquez and Andrea Sorrentino,

Captain Marvel # 10, written by Ruth Fletcher Gage and Christos Gage with art by Thony Silas, and

The Ultimates 2 #1, written by Al Ewing with art by Travel Foreman.

But, since we can’t be negative about everything, we also discuss:

Deathstroke #7, written by Priest with art by Larry Hama and Carlo Pagulayan,

Buffy The Vampire Slayer Season 11 #1, written by Christos Gage with art by Rebekah Issacs, and:

A. D.: After Death Book 1, written by Scott Snyder with art by Jeff Lemire!

And, the usual disclaimers:

This show contains spoilers. If you don’t want to know what happens in Civil War II, just try to forget some of your biggest disappointments before reading it.

This show contains adult, profane language, and is therefore not safe for work. If you said to your mom what we say about Civil War Ii over the Thanksgiving table, you’d be disowned. So get yourself some headphones.

Thanks for listening, suckers!

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2016/11/28/episode-134-ragegiving/feed/0Last week was Thanksgiving in the United States, a holiday where family members travel for hours and miles to share a table with family members and take a moment to express gratitude for the good things in their life.Due to vagaries of comics publishing (and the fact that Civil War II has been late almost since it was solicited), this week we not only discovered the result of the battle between Captain Marvel and Iron Man, but we began to learn the price that certain characters will apparently pay for their roles in suspending the Constitution, ignoring the First, Fourth, Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments, contributing to the deaths of at least three Avengers and arguably sending the Marvel Universe on the road to literal apocalypse.<br />
<br />
And we found that price to be wanting.<br />
<br />
So we spend a lot of time complaining bitterly about Civil War II #7, written by Brian Michael Bendis with art by David Marquez and Andrea Sorrentino, Captain Marvel # 10, written by Ruth Fletcher Gage and Christos Gage with art by Thony Silas, and The Ultimates 2 #1, written by Al Ewing with art by Travel Foreman.<br />
<br />
But, since we can't be negative about everything, we also discuss Deathstroke #10, written by Priest with art by Larry Hama and Carlo Pagulayan, Buffy The Vampire Slayer Season 11 #1, written by Christos Gage with art by Rebekah Issacs, and A. D.: After Death Book 1, written by Scott Snyder with art by Jeff Lemire!Crisis On Infinite Midlivesyes74:0811487Episode 133: The Dirty Batusihttp://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2016/11/21/episode-133-the-dirty-batusi/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2016/11/21/episode-133-the-dirty-batusi/#respondTue, 22 Nov 2016 01:38:03 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=11477It has been a weird couple of weeks here in the United States. Any week where the honest-to-God news in your local newspaper is more contentious, rancorous and secret identity-obsessed than your average comic book is one where talking about what comic creators are skipping what conventions in which American states, and which writers are retiring from what social networks feels redundant at best and depressing at worst.

But the good news is that, here at the Crisis On Infinite Midlives Home Office, we learned long ago that’s it’s an unwise decision to publicly discuss religion, politics, or inappropriate self-love over Bret Easton Ellis’s American Psycho. The bad news is that we forgot one of those truisms during this episode. The answer will (probably not) surprise you!

Either way, we decided this would be a good time to take the long view and just talk about this week’s comics. Well, about this week’s comics, about how very different stories can come from similar ideas, and about unreliable narrators. So we discuss:

Spider-Man #9, written by Brian Michael Bendis with art by NIco Leon,

Batman #11, written by Tom King with art by Mikel Janin,

Demonic #4, written by Christopher Sebela with art by Niko Walter, and:

Kill or Be Killed #4, written by Ed Brubaker with art by Sean Phillips!

And, the usual disclaimers:

This show contains spoilers. If you don’t want to know if Dylan from Kill or Be Killed kills or is killed, then skip this show (and next month’s Image Comics solicitations).

This show contains adult, profane language, and is therefore not safe for work. Do you think your mom wants to know what happens to a Daisy Buchanan when she’s bitten by a radioactive Gatsby (Spoilers: she gets greedy and whiny)? Then get some headphones.

And please note: from here on out, we will be publishing the podcast on Mondays, rather than Sundays. Thanks for sticking with us!

Thanks for listening, suckers!

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2016/11/21/episode-133-the-dirty-batusi/feed/0It has been a weird couple of weeks here in the United States. Any week where the honest-to-God news in your local newspaper is more contentious, rancorous and secret identity-obsessed than your average comic book is one where talking about what comic ...It has been a weird couple of weeks here in the United States. Any week where the honest-to-God news in your local newspaper is more contentious, rancorous and secret identity-obsessed than your average comic book is one where talking about what comic creators are skipping what conventions in which American states, and which writers are retiring from what social networks feels redundant at best and depressing at worst.<br />
<br />
But the good news is that, here at the Crisis On Infinite Midlives Home Office, we learned long ago that's it's an unwise decision to publicly discuss religion, politics, or inappropriate self-love over Bret Easton Ellis's American Psycho. The bad news is that we forgot one of those truisms during this episode. The answer will (probably not) surprise you!<br />
<br />
Either way, we decided this would be a good time to take the long view and just talk about this week's comics. Well, about this week's comics, about how very different stories can come from similar ideas, and about unreliable narrators. So we discuss Spider-Man #9, written by Brian Michael Bendis with art by NIco Leon, Batman #11, written by Tom King with art by Mikel Janin, Demonic #4, written by Christopher Sebela with art by Niko Walter, and Kill or Be Killed #4, written by Ed Brubaker with art by Sean Phillips!Crisis On Infinite Midlivesyes96:5711477Again!?http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2016/11/14/again/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2016/11/14/again/#respondTue, 15 Nov 2016 00:40:07 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=11475Yes, again. Life and work issues have made it impossible for us to compete an episode this week.

However, you have our word: Amanda and I have spent a lot of time over the past couple of days trying to figure out how we can prepare differently for the show to try to prevent these last-minute distractions from getting in the way. And we have come up with several ideas that should give us the slack that we need to produce the show, even in the face of ever-increasing real life commitments.

On of these ideas is pushing the release day of the show out to Mondays from Sundays. While we’ve prided ourselves on recording and releasing on Sundays to keep the show as fresh and weird as possible, it turns out that it can be hard to devote six to eight hours on a single day to the show when Rob’s phone might ring with new work requests at any moment.

We have a few other ideas on spreading our production out over the week, and we’re going to start implementing them, well, as soon as I’m done posting yet another mea culpa.

So thank you for bearing with us as we work it out. We will be back with you next week.

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2016/11/14/again/feed/011475Episode 132: Coke : Pepsi :: Constantine : Doctor Strangehttp://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2016/11/07/episode-132-coke-pepsi-constantine-doctor-strange/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2016/11/07/episode-132-coke-pepsi-constantine-doctor-strange/#respondTue, 08 Nov 2016 01:41:39 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=11469Sorry this week’s episode is late, but we had this thing, and we are late because of it. However! This past weekend, Marvel Studios’ Doctor Strange opened in theaters, marking not only the latest film in Phase Three, but the first to have an opening credit production logo featuring almost no comic books.

So we discuss the movie, its similarities to Iron Man, how Benedict Cumberbatch’s American accent is the enemy of suspension of disbelief, whether Doctor Strange is actually history’s greatest villain, how to pronounce The Ancient One’s last name, whitewashing and cultural appropriation, and, of course, spotted dick.

We also discuss:

Avengers #1, written by Mark Waid with art by Mike Del Mundo, and:

Superman #1, written by Peter Tomasi with art by Patrick Gleason!

And, as always, the disclaimers:

Due to strange circumstances, this episode was recorded live to tape with no editing. So while it might mean a looser show from us than you are used to, it also means that it should suffice as a legal request for political asylum (Happy Election Day, everyone!).

This show contains spoilers. So if you don’t want to know how to pronounce “Chiwetel Ejiofor,” well… actually, you won’t learn how to pronounce that here.

This show contains adult, profane language, and is therefore not safe for work. Trust me: you don’t want your mom to hear the way Rob tries to pronounce “Chiwetel Ejiofor.” Get some headphones.

Thanks for listening, suckers!

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2016/11/07/episode-132-coke-pepsi-constantine-doctor-strange/feed/0Sorry this week’s episode is late, but we had this thing, and we are late because of it. However! This past weekend, Marvel Studios’ Doctor Strange opened in theaters, marking not only the latest film in Phase Three,This past weekend, Marvel Studios' Doctor Strange opened in theaters, marking not only the latest film in Phase Three, but the first to have an opening credit production logo featuring almost no comic books.<br />
<br />
So we discuss the movie, its similarities to Iron Man, how Benedict Cumberbatch's American accent is the enemy of suspension of disbelief, whether Doctor Strange is actually history's greatest villain, how to pronounce The Ancient One's last name, whitewashing and cultural appropriation, and, of course, spotted dick.<br />
<br />
We also discuss Avengers #1, written by Mark Waid with art by Mike Del Mundo, and Superman #1, written by Peter Tomasi with art by Patrick Gleason!Crisis On Infinite Midlivesyes79:0911469Episode 131: Gaijin Rollhttp://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2016/10/30/episode-131-gaijin-roll/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2016/10/30/episode-131-gaijin-roll/#respondMon, 31 Oct 2016 00:54:44 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=11462This week, the paperback edition of celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain’s graphic novel Get Jiro: Blood and Sushi, was released. This book is a prequel to his 2012 sci-fi comic Get Jiro!, and like the original, it is steeped in modern foodie culture. Luckily, Amanda is also steeped in foodie culture.

So we talk about Get Jiro! and other foodie-related books (like Starve and Chew), and how some are good about catering to new culinary enthusiasts, while others depict a subculture where not knowing the unwritten insider foodie rules mean that you literally deserve to die… all while being part of a comics culture that is trying desperately to shed a long reputation of being hostile to outsiders. And if that all sounds heavy, fear not: there is also a story about Rob eating a pile of rock salt at a fine French restaurant that is just plain funny and dumb.

We also discuss Civil War II #6, written by Brian Michael Bendis with art by David Marquez!

And, the usual disclaimers:

This show contains spoilers. If you don’t want to know if Jiro survives Get Jiro: Blood and Sushi, well, you’re probably being willfully obtuse considering it’s a prequel, but consider yourself warned.

This show contains adult, profane language, and is therefore not safe for work. We talk about C. B. Cebulski’s Lucky Peach. You want to risk your mom hearing about that? Then get some earbuds.

Thanks for listening suckers!

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2016/10/30/episode-131-gaijin-roll/feed/0This week, the paperback edition of celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain’s graphic novel Get Jiro: Blood and Sushi, was released. This book is a prequel to his 2012 sci-fi comic Get Jiro!, and like the original, it is steeped in modern foodie culture.This week, the paperback edition of celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain’s graphic novel Get Jiro: Blood and Sushi, was released. This book is a prequel to his 2012 sci-fi comic Get Jiro!, and like the original, it is steeped in modern foodie culture. Luckily, Amanda is also steeped in foodie culture. So we talk about Get […]Crisis On Infinite Midlivesyes11462…Don’t Talk To Me About Lifehttp://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2016/10/24/dont-talk-to-me-about-life/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2016/10/24/dont-talk-to-me-about-life/#respondMon, 24 Oct 2016 11:56:20 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=11459Yes, we missed another episode. Rob’s brother was hospitalized on Thursday, making recording an episode this weekend impossible.

Assuming the situation improves, we will be back with a new episode next Sunday.

Thanks for your patience.

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2016/10/24/dont-talk-to-me-about-life/feed/011459Episode 130: Skeeball Jesushttp://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2016/10/16/episode-130-skeeball-jesus/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2016/10/16/episode-130-skeeball-jesus/#respondMon, 17 Oct 2016 02:25:03 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=11453We’re back, after yet another interruption – this time, we left the Crisis On Infinite Midlives Home Office to go to the American Classic Arcade Museum, where Amanda beat her personal best on Centipede, and Rob, after 30 years, finally learned the secret to escaping the building in Elevator Action (Take the elevator to the lobby and shoot everyone who gets in your way… which, to be honest, is a good strategy for getting out of any building, but what the hell? Rob is slow).

But we are back, and ready to discuss Marvel’s latest original Netflix series: Luke Cage. This is a series that touches on a variety of classic genre fiction, from pulp to blacksploitation to 70s cop TV to good old superhero comics, and provides us with a couple of deep, well-developed villains with sympathetic motivations and believable actions. And there is also Diamondback!

This show contains adult, profane language, and is therefore not safe for work. If you don’t want to explain the definition of “rapscallion hobo” to your mom and / or employer, get some headphones.

Thanks for listening, suckers!

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2016/10/16/episode-130-skeeball-jesus/feed/0We’re back, after yet another interruption – this time, we left the Crisis On Infinite Midlives Home Office to go to the American Classic Arcade Museum, where Amanda beat her personal best on Centipede, and Rob, after 30 years,We discuss Marvel's latest original Netflix series: Luke Cage. This is a series that touches on a variety of classic genre fiction, from pulp to blacksploitation to 70s cop TV to good old superhero comics, and provides us with a couple of deep, well-developed villains with sympathetic motivations and believable actions. And there is also Diamondback!<br />
<br />
We also discuss Power Man & Iron Fist #9, and Glitterbomb #2!Crisis On Infinite Midlivesyes11453Paved With Good Intentionshttp://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2016/10/10/paved-with-good-intentions/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2016/10/10/paved-with-good-intentions/#respondMon, 10 Oct 2016 22:54:41 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=11448It was the long Columbus Day weekend here in the United States, and we just returned from our semi-annual trip to Funspot, where Amanda broke her personal record on Centipede by about 15,000 points, and Rob cleared a building in Elevator Action, thus fulfilling a frustrated life goal he’s had since he was 11 years old and putting him one step closer to both carpal tunnel syndrome and the grave.

But we returned to the Crisis On Infinite Midlives Home Office later than we originally intended, making it impossible to do our planned episode on Marvel’s Netflix series Luke Cage in the in-depth manner which it deserves.

However! Due to the vagaries of our day job schedules, we will have time to record this episode tomorrow. So there will be a new podcast about Luke Cage up tomorrow night.

We apologize for our recent sporadic nature of the show, and you have our word that we’re doing our best to get our thumbs on it

Thanks for your patience, and we’ll talk to you tomorrow.

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2016/10/10/paved-with-good-intentions/feed/011448Episode 129: I Wanna Go To Canadian Jailhttp://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2016/10/02/episode-129-i-wanna-go-to-canadian-jail/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2016/10/02/episode-129-i-wanna-go-to-canadian-jail/#respondMon, 03 Oct 2016 02:20:57 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=11441We are more than halfway through Marvel’s Civil War II summer event, which, like most Marvel summer events, has dragged into the fall with no end before the darkest days of winter in sight. And while we previously have idly wondered how Marvel intends to deal with characters who are on the side of profiling and pre-crime, the event has really reached the point where, in order to keep the plot moving, characters like Captain Marvel and Black Panther are acting in truly reprehensible ways that will likely require rehabilitation on the level of Matt Fraction’s reboot of Tony Stark’s brain after the first Civil War.

And while there is no main Civil War II issue this week, there are several books that feature main pro-Predictive Justice players in the event doing horrible things that run the gamut from emotionally destroying adoring teenagers, to entrapment, to asking people if they are for or against you and placing those in the latter camp under arrest without even precognitive evidence. All of which makes Tony Stark’s Civil War pro-registraton stance look like good, old-fashioned flag-waving New Deal patriotism.

So we discuss these books, including:

Ms. Marvel #11, written by G. Willow Wilson with art by Takashi Miyazawa and Adrian Alphona,

The Totally Awesome Hulk #10, written by Greg Pak with art by Mahmud Asrar, and :

Captain Marvel #9, written by Ruth Fletcher Gage and Christos Gage with art by Thomy Silas.

And we discuss not only what can be done to rehabilitate characters who are clearly meant to be on the wrong side of issues, but how the series maps to recent social justice events and causes in the news.

And, the disclaimers:

This show contains spoilers. While we try to give warnings ahead of time, if you don’t want to know why the Canadian justice system is the most ruthless yet enticing in the world, consider yourself warned.

This show contains adult, profane language, and is therefore not safe for work. We did this show on a mix of beer, Sudafed and cough medicine, and we pride ourselves on our vocabularies even under adverse circumstances. Get some headphones.

Thanks for listening, suckers!

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2016/10/02/episode-129-i-wanna-go-to-canadian-jail/feed/0We are more than halfway through Marvel’s Civil War II summer event, which, like most Marvel summer events, has dragged into the fall with no end before the darkest days of winter in sight. And while we previously have idly wondered how Marvel intends ...We are more than halfway through Marvel’s Civil War II summer event, which, like most Marvel summer events, has dragged into the fall with no end before the darkest days of winter in sight. And while we previously have idly wondered how Marvel intends to deal with characters who are on the side of profiling […]Crisis On Infinite Midlivesyes86:4011441Reports of Our Death…http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2016/09/26/reports-of-our-death/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2016/09/26/reports-of-our-death/#respondMon, 26 Sep 2016 16:32:08 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=11438…nah, Rob just had to finish that work project (it’s finally done!), and we’re both actually down with the first Martian Death Flu of the season.

We’ll be back next week, and without that rotten project in the way, we should be back to full-length episodes.

Thanks for your patience.

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2016/09/26/reports-of-our-death/feed/011438Episode 128: Show Me On The Doll Where Lee Majors Touched Youhttp://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2016/09/18/episode-128-show-me-on-the-doll-where-lee-majors-touched-you/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2016/09/18/episode-128-show-me-on-the-doll-where-lee-majors-touched-you/#respondMon, 19 Sep 2016 02:20:45 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=11432After yet another cripplingly busy week at the Crisis On Infinite Midlives Home Office (and, to be honest, after about a quart of single malt scotch and a few belts of mescal), we only had the time to discuss a few of the comics of the week. But that turns out to have been a good decision; since we didn’t have time to fully discuss and coordinate our choices, we wound up with a couple of polarizing choices upon which we didn’t really agree.

This led to a conversation that ranged from deciding where on the Kubler-Ross scale of grief we are with regards to Watchmen characters still appearing in DC: Rebirth books (Rob is at “Bargaining”, Amanda is “amused at Rob’s Bargaining”), how James Tynion IV made Rob care about Spoiler for the first time, whether there’s enough nostalgia in the world to make innovative visual storytelling enough to bring Steve Austin into the 21st Century, and how Amanda’s battle against scotch last night went (picture Amanda as Rocky and scotch as Apollo Creed).

So what comics do we talk about?

Detective Comics #940, written by James Tynion IV with art by Eddy Barrows,

Lady Killer Volume 2 #2, written and drawn by Joelle Jones,

The Six Million Dollar Man: Fall of Man #3, written by Van Jensen with art by Ron Salas, and:

Hadrian’s Wall #1, written by Kyle Higgins and Alec Siegel, with art by Rod Reis!

And, as usual, the disclaimers:

This show contains spoilers. If you don’t want to find out who dies in this week’s Detective Comics (hint: it’s not Batman), then consider yourself forewarned.

This show contains adult, profane language, and is therefore not safe for work. See that title? It’s because we talk about Lee Majors and a plaster cast. You want your boss asking about that? Then get some earphones.

Thanks for listening, suckers!

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2016/09/18/episode-128-show-me-on-the-doll-where-lee-majors-touched-you/feed/0After yet another cripplingly busy week at the Crisis On Infinite Midlives Home Office (and, to be honest, after about a quart of single malt scotch and a few belts of mescal), we only had the time to discuss a few of the comics of the week.After yet another cripplingly busy week at the Crisis On Infinite Midlives Home Office (and, to be honest, after about a quart of single malt scotch and a few belts of mescal), we only had the time to discuss a few of the comics of the week. But that turns out to have been a […]Crisis On Infinite Midlivesyes66:1111432Do Not Adjust Your Internet…http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2016/09/12/do-not-adjust-your-internet/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2016/09/12/do-not-adjust-your-internet/#respondMon, 12 Sep 2016 14:05:11 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=11429…Sorry, but life and work just got in the way of producing a show this weekend.

We apologize, and will be back strong next weekend.

Strong? Sorry, I meant drunk.

Either way, we’ll be back next weekend. Promise.

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2016/09/12/do-not-adjust-your-internet/feed/011429Episode 127: Happy Anniversary, or: The 90s Threw Up In My Eyeshttp://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2016/09/04/episode-127-happy-anniversary-or-the-90s-threw-up-in-my-eyes/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2016/09/04/episode-127-happy-anniversary-or-the-90s-threw-up-in-my-eyes/#respondMon, 05 Sep 2016 01:26:27 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=11422It is the Labor Day long weekend here in the United States, and considering there was little comics news this week, we strongly considered taking a pass on a show this week. However! A quick peek at our Web site archives reminded us that today, September 4th, is the fifth anniversary of Crisis On Infinite Midlives on the Internet.

And we couldn’t let the occasion pass by unmarked. So we did a very brief show (at least a brief show for us) to reminisce about where and how we started, and how we wound up where we are.

And since that story isn’t a long and involved epic tale that will ring down through the ages to eventually become a three-hour Charlton Heston movie, we also talk a little bit about some Spider-Man: Homecoming casting news, The Attack of The Mushroom People (for some reason), and some of this week’s comics:

Suicide Squad Special: War Crimes, written by John Ostrander with art by Gus Vasquez,

Thunderbolts #4, written by Jim Zub with art by Jon Malin, and:

Uncanny Avengers #13, written by Gerry Duggan with art by Ryan Stegman!

Oh, by the way: that Jeph Loeb / Ed McGuinness Avengers title Rob was looking for was Avengers: X-Sanction from back in 2012.

And, as always, the disclaimers:

This is a shorter-than-usual episode, and it’s a little bit loose. We assure you: we’ll be back to spending two hours acting as if in love with the sounds of our own voices next week.

This show contains spoilers. If you don’t want to know that John Ostrander’s Suicide Squad is about a black-ops team of supervillains… well, you’re already screwed. But you are also warned.

This show contains adult, profane language, and is therefore not safe for work. Your boss is already upset that the next long weekend is three months away; don’t go making them angrier by listening to this without headphones.

Thanks for listening (and reading) for the past five years, suckers!

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2016/09/04/episode-127-happy-anniversary-or-the-90s-threw-up-in-my-eyes/feed/0It is the Labor Day long weekend here in the United States, and considering there was little comics news this week, we strongly considered taking a pass on a show this week. However! A quick peek at our Web site archives reminded us that today,It is the Labor Day long weekend here in the United States, and considering there was little comics news this week, we strongly considered taking a pass on a show this week. However! A quick peek at our Web site archives reminded us that today, September 4th, is the fifth anniversary of Crisis On Infinite Midlives on the Internet.<br />
<br />
And we couldn't let the occasion pass by unmarked. So we did a very brief show (at least a brief show for us) to reminisce about where and how we started, and how we wound up where we are.<br />
<br />
And since that story isn't a long and involved epic tale that will ring down through the ages to eventually become a three-hour Charlton Heston movie, we also talk a little bit about some Spider-Man: Homecoming casting news, The Attack of The Mushroom People (for some reason), and some of this week's comics: Suicide Squad Special: War Crimes, written by John Ostrander with art by Gus Vasquez, Thunderbolts #4, written by Jim Zub with art by Jon Malin, and Uncanny Avengers #13, written by Gerry Duggan with art by Ryan Stegman!Crisis On Infinite Midlivesyes50:0711422Episode 126: Team Batmanuelhttp://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2016/08/28/episode-126-team-batmanuel/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2016/08/28/episode-126-team-batmanuel/#respondMon, 29 Aug 2016 03:00:40 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=11415We’re not gonna apologize here: we love The Tick. During the 1980s Rob was a regular customer of the Brockton, MA New England Comics retail store where The Tick was born, Amanda was a fan of the 1990s Fox cartoon that brought the character to national prominence, and we both enjoyed the Patrick Warburton live action show from back in the day when your live action TV superhero choices were The Tick, Smallville or (God help us) Black Scorpion.

So we were excited when Amazon Prime video announced that part of their 2016 comedy pilot season would be a new, live action version of The Tick. And as fans of the character from the days he was a Daredevil parody through his more silly Saturday morning cartoon adventures, we were excited to see the character back in live action… but we really weren’t expecting what we got from the show. It’s a much darker, more psychological take on the character than we’ve seen maybe since the first few Ben Edlund issues of the comic book, and yet still pretty funny. And we had a lot of fun talking about it, on its own merits and in comparison with earlier versions of the character.

What’s that? You don’t have an Amazon Prime membership and you want to see the episode we’re talking about? Well, you can see it for free on your computer, and even find a link to a survey where you can give Amazon your feedback on the show.

We also discuss:

Kingsway West #1, written by Greg Pak with art by Mirko Colak,

Civil War II: Ulysses #1, written by Al Ewing with art by Karl Kesel, and:

Detective Comics #939, written by James Tynion IV with art by Eddy Barrows and Eber Ferreira!

And, as usual, the disclaimers:

This show contains spoilers. If you don’t want to know whether Warren Ellis fan Al Ewing spends more time developing the character of Warren Ellis’s Karnak or Brian Michael Bendis’s Ulysses, consider yourself officially warned. You don’t need to be warned, but you are.

This show contains adult, profane language, and is therefore not safe for work. Let’s just say that, “Spoon!” is not the strongest word we shout during the show. Consider ear buds.

Thanks for listening, suckers!

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2016/08/28/episode-126-team-batmanuel/feed/0We’re not gonna apologize here: we love The Tick. During the 1980s Rob was a regular customer of the Brockton, MA New England Comics retail store where The Tick was born, Amanda was a fan of the 1990s Fox cartoon that brought the character to national ...We're not gonna apologize here: we love The Tick. During the 1980s Rob was a regular customer of the Brockton, MA New England Comics retail store where The Tick was born, Amanda was a fan of the 1990s Fox cartoon that brought the character to national prominence, and we both enjoyed the Patrick Warburton live action show from back in the day when your live action TV superhero choices were The Tick, Smallville or (God help us) Black Scorpion.<br />
<br />
So we were excited when Amazon Prime video announced that part of their 2016 comedy pilot season would be a new, live action version of The Tick. And as fans of the character from the days he was a Daredevil parody through his more silly Saturday morning cartoon adventures, we were excited to see the character back in live action... but we really weren't expecting what we got from the show. It's a much darker, more psychological take on the character than we've seen maybe since the first few Ben Edlund issues of the comic book, and yet still pretty funny. And we had a lot of fun talking about it, on its own merits and in comparison with earlier versions of the character.<br />
<br />
We also discuss Kingsway West #1, written by Greg Pak with art by Mirko Colak, Civil War II: Ulysses #1, written by Al Ewing with art by Karl Kesel, and Detective Comics #939, written by James Tynion IV with art by Eddy Barrows and Eber Ferreira!Crisis On Infinite Midlivesyes86:2811415Episode 125: Boston Comic Con 2016, Part II: The Miller Whispererhttp://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2016/08/21/episode-125-boston-comic-con-2016-part-ii-the-miller-whisperer/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2016/08/21/episode-125-boston-comic-con-2016-part-ii-the-miller-whisperer/#respondMon, 22 Aug 2016 03:17:25 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=11410It’s been a week since the conclusion of Boston Comic Con 2016, and we’re still coming to terms with the fact that we saw Frank Miller speak live.

We have a complicated relationship with Frank Miller here at Crisis On Infinite MIdlives. We will always love him for what he did with Daredevil and Batman in the 1980s, helping to bring comics into adulthood at the same time we were moving through our own adolescence. We will always respect him for doing cool stuff like Give Me Liberty and Robocop Vs. Terminator in the mid-1990s. And we will always be concerned about him due to his public statements about Islam, and there will never be a force on Earth that will make us really like Holy Terror.

But no matter what, the man is a legend in comics, and we were not only there to see him, but to record him. So we’re psyched to be able to bring you panel audio of Miller himself, talking about his Dark Knight trilogy, Sin City, Daredevil and what it was like to be at the forefront of comics during the 1980s.

We also discuss:

Civil War II: The Fallen #1, written by Greg Pak with art by Mark Bagley, and:

Demonic #1, written by Christopher Sebela with art by Niko Walter!

And, as always, the disclaimers:

This show contains spoilers. If you’re not aware which Gamma-irradiated founding Avenger was shot in the brain by Hawkeye, well, then you’re not reading Marvel Comics anyway, and you won’t care.

This show contains adult, profane language, and is therefore not safe for work. One of our possible titles involved Amanda using the convolutedly-spelled word “sidebewb”. You should probably use headphones.

Thanks for listening, suckers!

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2016/08/21/episode-125-boston-comic-con-2016-part-ii-the-miller-whisperer/feed/0It’s been a week since the conclusion of Boston Comic Con 2016, and we’re still coming to terms with the fact that we saw Frank Miller speak live. We have a complicated relationship with Frank Miller here at Crisis On Infinite MIdlives.It's been a week since the conclusion of Boston Comic Con 2016, and we're still coming to terms with the fact that we saw Frank Miller speak live.<br />
<br />
We have a complicated relationship with Frank Miller here at Crisis On Infinite MIdlives. We will always love him for what he did with Daredevil and Batman in the 1980s, helping to bring comics into adulthood at the same time we were moving through our own adolescence. We will always respect him for doing cool stuff like Give Me Liberty and Robocop Vs. Terminator in the mid-1990s. And we will always be concerned about him due to his public statements about Islam, and there will never be a force on Earth that will make us really like Holy Terror.<br />
<br />
But no matter what, the man is a legend in comics, and we were not only there to see him, but to record him. So we're psyched to be able to bring you panel audio of Miller himself, talking about his Dark Knight trilogy, Sin City, Daredevil and what it was like to be at the forefront of comics during the 1980s.<br />
<br />
We also discuss Civil War II: The Fallen #1, written by Greg Pak with art by Mark Bagley, and Demonic #1, written by Christopher Sebela with art by Niko Walter!Crisis On Infinite Midlivesyes11410Episode 124: Boston Comic Con 2016 Part One, or: Monetize My Fandomhttp://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2016/08/14/episode-124-boston-comic-con-2016-part-one-or-monetize-my-fandom/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2016/08/14/episode-124-boston-comic-con-2016-part-one-or-monetize-my-fandom/#respondMon, 15 Aug 2016 02:28:41 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=11406Boston Comic Con, our local convention, was this weekend, and we went after it with both hands, hammer and tong… until we realized that we’d hit all the comics news panels by the end of the first day, collected all our commissions and desired books by midday on the second, and had one working hip between the two of us by the beginning of the third.

But our infirmities didn’t stop us from seeing the whole floor and attending some excellent comics panels. So we talk about this year’s show in general, some of the creators we met and the loot we scored, and then we talk the DC Universe Panel.

Held Friday, hosted by DC Co-Publisher Dan DiDio with panelists Aaron Lopresti, Phil Jimenez, Amanda Conner and Jimmy Palmiotti, the panel stayed away from DC: Rebirth news (other than providing some of the reasoning behind making the move), and focused more on the creators, their motivations, their inspirations, and how they managed to get some of their most high-profile gigs. And we not only talk about the panel, but we present audio direct from the show! It’s like you’re there! If you were there with two drunks able to stop the panel at will to interject with mouthy sarcasm!

And, before you ask: yes, we did attend the Frank Miller spotlight panel, and yes: we have audio. And we will present and discuss that panel during next week’s show.

And, the disclaimers:

Due to limited time (the convention ended today, for God’s sake), we were unable to clean up the panel audio as much as we would have liked. It should still be perfectly audible and understandable, but we apologize if it’s a little muddy.

This show contains adult, profane language, and is therefore not safe for work. One of our audio tracks is named “Scratch ‘N Sniff Beaver.” You are forewarned.

Thanks for listening, suckers!

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2016/08/14/episode-124-boston-comic-con-2016-part-one-or-monetize-my-fandom/feed/0Boston Comic Con, our local convention, was this weekend, and we went after it with both hands, hammer and tong… until we realized that we’d hit all the comics news panels by the end of the first day, collected all our commissions and desired books by ...Boston Comic Con, our local convention, was this weekend, and we went after it with both hands, hammer and tong... until we realized that we'd hit all the comics news panels by the end of the first day, collected all our commissions and desired books by midday on the second, and had one working hip between the two of us by the beginning of the third.<br />
<br />
But our infirmities didn't stop of from seeing the whole floor and attending some excellent comics panels. So we talk about this year's show in general, some of the creators we met and the loot we scored, and then we talk the DC Universe Panel.<br />
<br />
Held Friday, hosted by DC Co-Publisher Dan DiDio with panelists Aaron Lopresti, Phil Jimenez, Amanda Conner and Jimmy Palmiotti, the panel stayed away from DC: Rebirth news (other than providing some of the reasoning behind making the move), and focused more on the creators, their motivations, their inspirations, and how they managed to get some of their most high-profile gigs. And we not only talk about the panel, but we present audio direct from the show! It's like you're there! If you were there with two drunks able to stop the panel at will to interject with mouthy sarcasm!Crisis On Infinite Midlivesyes11406Episode 123: Binders Full of Metahumanshttp://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2016/08/07/episode-123-binders-full-of-metahumans/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2016/08/07/episode-123-binders-full-of-metahumans/#respondMon, 08 Aug 2016 03:10:12 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=11398DC Films’s Suicide Squad opened this week, to impressive box office numbers, if not so impressive reviews. But here at Crisis On Infinite Midlives, Rob in particular is a fan of John Ostrander’s and Kim Yale’s 1980s original DC comic, so we went out of our way to see the flick, excited to spend Sunday preparing to talk about it, in depth, during this week’s show.

Then Rob’s day job called him on on Saturday night and worked him like a dog until 5:45 a.m. Sunday morning.

But we refused to let that stop us! So we spent our few waking hours today rereading dozens of issues of Ostrander’s Suicide Squad (and a few more modern issues, and even a few issues of Michael Fiffe’s Copra for some flavor), hashing out problems with the movie, discussing the differences between Ostrander’s nihilist Deadshot versus Will Smith’s devoted dad, arguing about whether the movie’s Harley Quinn was insanely devoted to Joker or ready to accept herself as a massively anti-social person, speculating about whether the rumored studio edits and deleted scenes would have made a better or worse flick, and bickering over whether three naps in a single 14 hour span is healthy.

So you’re in for a unique show: we taped this late, didn’t have time to really edit it at all, and recorded it in a state of profound fatigue hysteria. And we still somehow found the wherewithal to discuss DC Rebirth Suicide Squad #1, written by Rob Williams with art by Phillip Tan!

And, as always, some disclaimers:

This show contains spoilers. If you haven’t seen Suicide Squad, and want to avoid being told whether or not Captain Boomerang consummates his forbidden love with a fluffy pink unicorn, you are hereby forewarned. (NOTE: This is not a sleep deprived hallucination. It is an actual and valid question introduced in this multi-million dollar studio-backed major motion picture).

This show contains adult, profane language, and is therefore not safe for work. Hello!? Aussie Unicorn Rogering! Get some headphones.

We repeatedly misidentify this episode as number 113 during the show. We are very ,very tired.

Thanks for listening, suckers!

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2016/08/07/episode-123-binders-full-of-metahumans/feed/0DC Films’s Suicide Squad opened this week, to impressive box office numbers, if not so impressive reviews. But here at Crisis On Infinite Midlives, Rob in particular is a fan of John Ostrander’s and Kim Yale’s 1980s original DC comic,DC Films's Suicide Squad opened this week, to impressive box office numbers, if not so impressive reviews. But here at Crisis On Infinite Midlives, Rob in particular is a fan of John Ostrander's and Kim Yale's 1980s original DC comic, so we went out of our way to see the flick, excited to spend Sunday preparing to talk about it, in depth during this week's show.<br />
<br />
Then Rob's day job called him on on Saturday night and worked him like a dog until 5:45 a.m. Sunday morning.<br />
<br />
But we refused to let that stop us! So we spent our few waking hours today rereading dozens of issues of Ostrander's Suicide Squad (and a few more modern issues, and even a few issues of Michael Fiffe's Copra for some flavor), hashing out problems with the movie, discussing the differences between Ostrander's nihilist Deadshot versus Will Smith's devoted dad, arguing about whether the movie's Harley Quinn was insanely devoted to Joker or ready to accept herself as a massively anti-social person, and whether three naps in a single 14 hour span is healthy.<br />
<br />
So you're in for a unique show: we taped this late, didn't have time to really edit it at all, and recorded it in a state of profound fatigue hysteria. And we still somehow found the wherewithal to discuss DC Rebirth Suicide Squad #1, written by Rob Williams with art by Phillip Tan!Crisis On Infinite Midlivesyes11398They Lived Only To Face A New Nightmare: The War Against The Machineshttp://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2016/07/31/they-lived-only-to-face-a-new-nightmare-the-war-against-the-machines/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2016/07/31/they-lived-only-to-face-a-new-nightmare-the-war-against-the-machines/#respondSun, 31 Jul 2016 23:29:57 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=11389When we published last week’s episode on Sunday night, we had lofty ambitions to go through a week’s worth of San Diego Comic-Con panel streams, pulling audio and dissecting some of the biggest news items of the con, and maybe having a guest to talk about the experience of being at the this year’s convention. Then all of our belongings staged a bloody insurrection against us.

Not eight hours later, on Monday morning, we awoke to the gentle aroma of burning insulation permeating the Home Office kitchen. Luckily, this smell only occurred intermittently, Unluckily, that interim was whenever the refrigerator compressor turned on. This required us to shut down the unit, run around like spastics to order a new fridge and purchase a bunch of coolers and ice, and pack every ounce of food we’ve ever purchased but not gotten around to eating into them. Note that this process didn’t include the beer.

Wednesday, we had high hopes to get back on track, but those plans were derailed by a nice lady, distracted by a bad day, who didn’t realize that the pretty red lights Amanda was showing her were actually being lit because Amanda was applying the brakes in her car. Amanda is fine (unlike her car), but by the time the cops and insurance company were gone, we just didn’t have the energy to match say, Geoff Johns’s enthusiasm about the return of Aqualad.

Luckily, the new fridge was delivered Thursday. Unluckily, it was delivered by gentlemen who didn’t seem to understand why it’s generally considered desirable to avoid slamming the front of a fridge into your plate glass storm door. I can understand why they didn’t consider this a big deal; considering the preexisting and extensive scratching on the front door that may or may not have intentionally resembled a gang sign, what’s a couple more dings? This meant a couple of more days without a fridge and with warm beer, and suddenly trying to hunt down Brian Michael Bendis’s explanations about why he’s turned Captain Marvel into a fascist for Civil War II kinda lost its luster.

Yesterday, we finally got the fridge and the ability to chill up some fine Berkshire Brewing Company Steel Rail Pale Ale… but our Web provider began warning us that we were so far behind on upgrades and capital improvements that we were in danger of being hacked by Rush. No, not “Russians”, the band Rush, who thinks Unix are how you get angelic voices on backing tracks. So cue a long Sunday of data backup and running upgrades, and boom!. Suddenly it’s 6 p.m. and we’re completely unprepared to produce a new episode for the week.

So unfortunately, we need to call a mulligan for this week’s show. We’ll be back next week to discuss DC FIlms’s Suicide Squad, which opens this weekend here in the United States.

At least, that’s the plan. With the luck we’ve had with machinery this week, the movie theater’s IMAX projector will mutate into a device that only warms Rob’s beer (a D.O.W.R.B! It’s a Kirby-esque villain that made Captain Marvel into a douche! I own that idea, Marvel! You hear me?) and we will be forced to review Sharknado IV.

Thanks for your patience. Talk to you next week,

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2016/07/31/they-lived-only-to-face-a-new-nightmare-the-war-against-the-machines/feed/011389Episode 122: A Dick Grayson Pillow From Osakahttp://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2016/07/24/episode-112-a-dick-grayson-pilow-from-osaka/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2016/07/24/episode-112-a-dick-grayson-pilow-from-osaka/#respondMon, 25 Jul 2016 02:42:23 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=11374It is the final day of San Diego Comic-Con… which we were not able to attend. So, to make up for the fact that we were unable to report from the biggest comics event of the year, we distracted ourselves by catching up on some of the bigger recent announcements from the convention, and by seeing Star Trek Beyond, which is the third movie in the Bad Robot-produced reboot of the series, and not that fanfic movie that Universal Studios is suing like Rob thought it was until about three weeks ago.

It feels like the Star Trek franchise has lost some attention since J. J. Abrams left to direct a little indie film, and certainly our personal enthusiasms have been at different levels, as our relationships with the property have waxed and / or waned since our childhoods. And that differing excitement comes across as we discuss the movie: one of us finds it to be a fun popcorn flick with solid themes of making your own family, while the other thinks it has the crappiest Star Trek villain in 25 years and the worst film photography outside of an amusement park virtual reality attraction.

We also discuss:

Justice League #1, written by Bryan Hitch with art by Tony S. Daniel, and:

The Hellblazer #1, written by Simon Oliver with art by Moritat!

And the usual disclaimers:

This show contains spoilers. Numerically not as many spoilers as the actual Star Trek Beyond trailer, but if you want to avoid knowing plot points smaller than the destruction of the U.S.S. REDACTED, consider yourself warned.

This show contains adult, profane language, and is therefore not safe for work. We speak extensively about the sexual connotations of a clown suit on a mannequin. If you don’t want those connotations read back to you during your annual performance review, get some earphones.

Note: During the show, we speculate that Star Trek Beyond director Justin Lin was scheduled to direct The Flash. That was incorrect. We were thinking of James Wan, who also directed one of the Fast and Furious movies. And who, it turns out, won’t be directing The Flash.

Thanks for listening, suckers!

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2016/07/24/episode-112-a-dick-grayson-pilow-from-osaka/feed/0It is the final day of San Diego Comic-Con… which we were not able to attend. So, to make up for the fact that we were unable to report from the biggest comics event of the year, we distracted ourselves by catching up on some of the bigger recent annou...It is the final day of San Diego Comic-Con… which we were not able to attend. So, to make up for the fact that we were unable to report from the biggest comics event of the year, we distracted ourselves by catching up on some of the bigger recent announcements from the convention, and by […]Crisis On Infinite Midlivesyes11374Episode 121: Underground Gozer Societyhttp://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2016/07/17/episode-121-underground-gozer-society/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2016/07/17/episode-121-underground-gozer-society/#respondMon, 18 Jul 2016 02:30:19 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=11368

The new Ghostbusters movie opened this week, after a long production period marked by a non-stop screeching hate frenzy from Bill Murray fans, enthusiasts of old-school J. Michael Straczynski Saturday morning cartoons, and people who think that comedy has been redundant since Rick Moranis donned a track suit to dry hump the windows at Tavern on The Green.

We here at Crisis On Infinite Midlives have long and storied histories with the original Ghostbusters, from Amanda’s devotion to its scientific approach to the paranormal that led to her being interested in applying to Duke University’s Parapsychology Laboratory, to Rob’s appreciation of the flick as an teen-safe entryway to early Saturday Night Live and the National Lampoon. And even with that long and beloved history, we have long been looking forward to the more modern interpretation of the franchise.

So we discuss our feelings about the franchise at large, how we liked (and didn’t like) the new movie, what we’re hoping for from any possible sequel, and Amanda’s theory about how this movie not only doesn’t turn its back on the original movie, but actually makes the concept that it’s a sequel as likely as not.

Regardless, we have no sympathy for those who say that the new Ghostbusters has destroyed their childhood. And we’re not alone.

We also discuss:

Nightwing: Rebirth #1, written by Tim Seeley with art by Yanick Paquette,

Wonder Woman #2, written by Greg Rucka with art by Nicola Scott, and:

Civil War II #3, written by Brian Michael Bendis with art by David Marquez!

And, the usual disclaimers:

This show contains spoilers. If you want to avoid knowing whether every molecule in Melissa McCarthy’s body explodes at the speed of light in a total protonic reversal, consider yourself forewarned and forearmed.

This show contains adult, profane language, and is therefore not safe for work. You want your boss to learn a whole new definition of “hard but fair”? Then buy some earbuds.

Thanks for listening, suckers!

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2016/07/17/episode-121-underground-gozer-society/feed/0The new Ghostbusters movie opened this week, after a long production period marked by a non-stop screeching hate frenzy from Bill Murray fans, enthusiasts of old-school J. Michael Straczynski Saturday morning cartoons,The new Ghostbusters movie opened this week, after a long production period marked by a non-stop screeching hate frenzy from Bill Murray fans, enthusiasts of old-school J. Michael Straczynski Saturday morning cartoons, and people who think that comedy has been redundant since Rick Moranis donned a track suit to dry hump the windows at Tavern on The Green.<br />
<br />
We here at Crisis On Infinite Midlives have long and storied histories with the original Ghostbusters, from Amanda's devotion to its scientific approach to the paranormal that led to her being interested in applying to Duke University's Parapsychology Laboratory, to Rob's appreciation of the flick as an teen-safe entryway to early Saturday Night Live and the National Lampoon. And even with that long and beloved history, we have long been looking forward to the more modern interpretation of the franchise.<br />
<br />
So we discuss our feelings about the franchise at large, how we liked (and didn't like) the new movie, what we're hoping for from any possible sequel, and Amanda's theory about how this movie not only doesn't turn its back on the original movie, but actually makes the concept that it's a sequel as likely as not.<br />
<br />
We also discuss: Nightwing: Rebirth #1, written by Tim Seeley with art by Yanick Paquette, Wonder Woman #2, written by Greg Rucka with art by Nicola Scott, and Civil War II #3, written by Brian Michael Bendis with art by David Marquez!Crisis On Infinite Midlivesyes11368Episode 120: The Bootstrap Paradox, or: Why Is Your Kindle Sticky?http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2016/07/10/episode-120-the-bootstrap-paradox-or-why-is-your-kindle-sticky/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2016/07/10/episode-120-the-bootstrap-paradox-or-why-is-your-kindle-sticky/#respondMon, 11 Jul 2016 02:08:27 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=11359Another season of HBO’s Game of Thrones is behind us, leaving us once again with a pile of dead so high it would embarrass Jerry Garcia, were he not also dead.

This was a big season: not only was it the first that wasn’t completely backed by one of George R. R. Martin’s Song of Ice and Fire novels, but it pushed some fan-favorite characters toward their eventual endgame by (gasp!) allowing some of them to not only live, but to win. And not only to win, but to win in the layman’s sense of the word, not George R. R. Martin’s normal definition of “win,” which is “alive, but mutilated and perhaps covered in latrine leeches.”

So, as is becoming an annual tradition here, we welcomed guest John Keating: an actor, a comedian, and as close to an expert in Game of Thrones as you’re likely to find without riffling through a stack of Martin’s restraining orders.

We discuss the season, the huge arcs some characters have, the double-edged sword of certain characters’ comeuppance, and why the only ones in Westeros qualified to ride The Iron Throne are either ten years old or a quadruped.

In addition, John brings us up to date on The Concessionaires Must Die!, the independent film he co-starred in and co-wrote, which features Stan Lee in a cameo role, and has a new trailer available to psyche you up for when it appears at a film festival near you.

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2016/07/10/episode-120-the-bootstrap-paradox-or-why-is-your-kindle-sticky/feed/0Another season of HBO’s Game of Thrones is behind us, leaving us once again with a pile of dead so high it would embarrass Jerry Garcia, were he not also dead. This was a big season: not only was it the first that wasn’t completely backed by one of Geo...Another season of HBO's Game of Thrones is behind us, leaving us once again with a pile of dead so high it would embarrass Jerry Garcia, were he not also dead.<br />
<br />
This was a big season: not only was it the first that wasn't completely backed by one of George R. R. Martin's Song of Ice and Fire novels, but it pushed some fan-favorite characters toward their eventual endgame by (gasp!) allowing some of them to not only live, but to win. And not only to win, but to win in the layman's sense of the word, not George R. R. Martin's normal definition of "win," which is "alive, but mutilated and perhaps covered in latrine leeches."<br />
<br />
So, as is becoming an annual tradition here, we welcomed guest John Keating: an actor, a comedian, and as close to an expert in Game of Thrones as you're likely to find without riffling through a stack of Martin's restraining orders.<br />
<br />
We discuss the season, the huge arcs some characters have, the double-edged sword of certain characters' comeuppance, and why the only ones in Westeros qualified to ride The Iron Throne are either ten years old or a quadruped.Crisis On Infinite Midlivesyes11359Episode 119: Wheatcakes!http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2016/06/26/episode-119-wheatcakes/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2016/06/26/episode-119-wheatcakes/#respondMon, 27 Jun 2016 02:47:22 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=11351It has been a busy week here at the Crisis On Infinite Midlives Home Office. Between the delivery of new cooking apparatus that can also conveniently act as an incendiary bomb, to unexpected day job responsibilities, to nearly getting caught up in an unexpected session of Cornhole, it was hard to keep up on a week that was comics news-light to begin with.

So we decided to keep things short and simple this week, and just talk about some comics. And while we have some general discussions about how it was a standard off week for Marvel’s Civil War II event (by standard, we mean that every Marvel comic had “Civil War II” on the cover, without advancing the main story a whit), and how DC’s Rebirth continues to be a pretty solid soft reboot that’s unfortunately wrapped in the wretched trappings of Watchmen characters, we pretty much focused on a few books:

The Totally Awesome Hulk #7, written by Greg Pak with art by Alan Davis,

Justice League #52, written by Dan Jurgens with pencils by Tom Grummett, and:

Teen Titans #21, written by Tony Bedard with art by Miguel Mendonca!

And, as usual, the disclaimers:

This show contains spoilers. So if you want to remain unspoiled on whether or not Lex Luthor will be a villain in DC Rebirth (The answer won’t surprise you!), consider yourself warned.

This show contains adult, profane language, and is therefore not safe for work. You think your boss wants to hear details about Boston Cornhole (The answer actually will surprise you! But good luck convincing HR of that!)? Then get some headphones.

As a reminder: We will not have a new show on the week of July 3, 2016. We’ll be back the following Sunday.

Thanks for listening, suckers!

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2016/06/26/episode-119-wheatcakes/feed/0It has been a busy week here at the Crisis On Infinite Midlives Home Office. Between the delivery of new cooking apparatus that can also conveniently act as an incendiary bomb, to unexpected day job responsibilities,It has been a busy week here at the Crisis On Infinite Midlives Home Office. Between the delivery of new cooking apparatus that can also conveniently act as an incendiary bomb, to unexpected day job responsibilities, to nearly getting caught up in an unexpected session of Cornhole, it was hard to keep up on a week that was comics news-light to begin with.<br />
<br />
So we decided to keep things short and simple this week, and just talk about some comics. And while we have some general discussions about how it was a standard off week for Marvel's Civil War II event (by standard, we mean that every Marvel comic had "Civil War II" on the cover, without advancing the main story a whit), and how DC's Rebirth continues to be a pretty solid soft reboot that's unfortunately wrapped in the wretched trappings of Watchmen characters, we pretty much focused on a few books: The Totally Awesome Hulk #7, written by Greg Pak with art by Alan Davis, Justice League #52, written by Dan Jurgens with pencils by Tom Grummett, and Teen Titans #21, written by Tony Bedard with art by Miguel Mendonca!Crisis On Infinite Midlivesyes58:4511351Episode 118: Send In The Cloneshttp://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2016/06/19/episode-118-send-in-the-clones/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2016/06/19/episode-118-send-in-the-clones/#respondMon, 20 Jun 2016 02:42:10 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=11343This week, Marvel and Spider-Man writer Dan Slott announced that this fall’s Spider-Man event will be called The Clone Conspiracy, and will feature The Jackal and the clone of Gwen Stacy, possibly bringing a bunch of long dead Spider-Man characters back from the grave. We initially had a very negative reaction to this news, because any Spider-Man title that includes the word “clone” brings back memories of the 1990s Clone Saga… but then we realized that neither of us had actually read all that much of the original Gerry Conway clone stories from the 1970s, or the Clone Saga stories from the mid 90s.

So we ran out and purchased the trade of the original clone stories from 1975 through 1990, and one of the trades of the 90s Clone Saga, to see how we really felt about the clone stories in the face of the actual works. And we discussed, in the face of actual exposure to the clone stories, whether we wanted to see any more clone stories… and whether we did or not, if they could possibly overcome the reputation of the 90s Clone Saga.

We also discuss:

Civil War II #2, written by Brian Michael Bendis with art by David Marquez,

Superman #1, written by Peter Tomasi with art by Patrick Gleason, and:

Batman #1, written by Tom King with art by David FInch!

And, the usual disclaimers:

This show contains spoilers. If you don’t want to learn the ending of who wound up with the mantle of Spider-Man at the end of The Clone Saga 21 years ago, you are a wise person with good taste in serialized graphic storytelling! But we’ll still ruin it for you.

This show contains adult, profane language, and is therefore not safe for work. If you don’t think your mom wants to hear how there’s a big bit of Hal Jordan in Carol Danvers, then get some headphones.

Thanks for listening, suckers!

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2016/06/19/episode-118-send-in-the-clones/feed/0This week, Marvel and Spider-Man writer Dan Slott announced that this fall’s Spider-Man event will be called The Clone Conspiracy, and will feature The Jackal and the clone of Gwen Stacy, possibly bringing a bunch of long dead Spider-Man characters bac...This week, Marvel and Spider-Man writer Dan Slott announced that the this fall's Spider-Man event will be called The Clone Conspiracy, and will feature The Jackal and the clone of Gwen Stacy, possibly bringing a bunch of long dead Spider-Man characters back from the dead. We initially had a very negative reaction to this news, because any Spider-Man title that includes the word "clone" brings back memories of the 1990s Clone Saga... but then we realized that neither of us had actually read all that much of the original Gerry Conway clone stories from the 1970s, or the Clone Saga stories from the mid 90s. <br />
<br />
So we ran out and purchased the trade of the original clone stories from 1975 through 1990, and one of the trades of the 90s Clone Saga, to see how we really felt about the clone stories in the face of the actual works. And we discussed, in the face of actual exposure to the clone stories, whether we wanted to see any more clone stories... and whether we did or not, if they could possibly overcome the reputation of the 90s Clone Saga.<br />
<br />
We also discuss Civil War II #2, written by Brian Michael Bendis with art by David Marquez, Superman #1, written by Peter Tomasi with art by Patrick Gleason, and Batman #1, written by Tom King with art by David FInch!Crisis On Infinite Midlivesyes11343Episode 117: You Grok What I’m Saying, Fat Bieber?http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2016/06/12/episode-117-you-grok-what-im-saying-fat-bieber/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2016/06/12/episode-117-you-grok-what-im-saying-fat-bieber/#respondMon, 13 Jun 2016 02:45:35 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=11337This week, The Walking Dead creator Robert Kirkman had an interview published in Rolling Stone where he chided George R. R. Martin for revealing the ending to A Song of Ice And Fire to the producers of HBO’s Game of Thrones. And it caused the predictable Internet uproar, but it also got us to thinking: we had six out of seven Fear The Walking Dead episodes unwatched on our TiVo. We’d been complaining for years that The Walking Dead comic’s pacing had been untenably slow. We’d been getting Kirkman’s Outcast in our pulls since it started, but we actually hadn’t been reading it, so we had no intention of checking out the comic’s new adaptation on Cinemax.

So we asked ourselves: have we reached peak Robert Kirkman? Has his work lost its mojo, at least for us? And we decided to test the question by burning through the remainder of Fear The Walking Dead season 2, re-reading the first issue of Outcast, and checking out the first two episodes of the adaptation. And having spent the weekend binging on Kirkman (eww!), the answer might surprise you!

The Flash: Rebirth #1, written by Joshua Williamson with art by Carmine Di Giandomencio, and:

Daredevil #8, written by Charles Soule with art by Goran Sudzuka!

And, the disclaimers:

This show contains spoilers. If you listen, you will learn how many Fear The Walking Dead characters Rob wants to hit with a chair (Hint: It’s a non-zero value).

The show contains adult, profane language, and is therefore not safe for work. We talk about Superman’s dickie. Get some headphones.

Thanks for listening, suckers!

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2016/06/12/episode-117-you-grok-what-im-saying-fat-bieber/feed/0This week, The Walking Dead creator Robert Kirkman had an interview published in Rolling Stone where he chided George R. R. Martin for revealing the ending to A Song of Ice And Fire to the producers of HBO’s Game of Thrones.This week, The Walking Dead creator Robert Kirkman had an interview published in Rolling Stone where he chided George R. R. Martin for revealing the ending to A Song of Ice And Fire to the producers of HBO's Game of Thrones. And it caused the predictable Internet uproar, but it also got us to thinking: we had six out of seven Fear The Walking Dead episodes unwatched on out TiVo. We'd been complaining for years that The Walking Dead comic's pacing had been untenably slow. We'd been getting Kirkman's Outcast in our pulls since it started, but we actually hadn't been reading it, so we had no intention of checking out the comic's new adaptation on Cinemax.<br />
<br />
So we asked ourselves: have we reached peak Robert Kirkman? Has his work lost its mojo, at least for us? And we decided to test the question by burning through the remainder of Fear The Walking Dead season 2, re-reading the first issue of Outcast, and checking out the first two episodes of the adaptation. And having spent the evening binging on Kirkman (eww!), the answer might surprise you! <br />
<br />
We also discuss: Wonder Woman: Rebirth #1, written by Greg Rucka with art by Matthew Clark, Liam Sharp and Sean Parsons, The Flash: Rebirth #1, written by Joshua Williamson with art by Carmine Di Giandomencio, and Daredevil #8, written by Charles Soule with art by Goran Sudzuka!Crisis On Infinite Midlivesyes11337Episode 116: They Lebowskied Supermanhttp://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2016/06/05/episode-116-they-lebowskied-superman/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2016/06/05/episode-116-they-lebowskied-superman/#respondMon, 06 Jun 2016 02:55:39 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=11333It’s the first full week of DC Comics: Rebirth, and not a single Watchmen character appears in those issues, so we decided it would be a good opportunity to complain again about Watchmen characters appearing in the DC Universe.

Specifically, it was revealed this week that DC Comics didn’t contactWatchmen artist Dave Gibbons to ask him his opinion about adding Watchmen characters to Dc Universe: Rebirth. So we talk about whether that was a bush league move (protip: yeah), some of the history around DC leaving Watchmen alone, and whether DC Editorial really had any choice in asking for Gibbons or writer Alan Moore for even a half-hearted blessing in using their characters in Rebirth.

Then, since we were on a Rebirth roll, we discussed all this week’s titles from that event:

Superman: Rebirth #1, written by Peter Tomasi with art by Doug Mahnke,

Green Arrow: Rebirth #1, written by Benjamin Percy with art by Otto Schmidt,

Batman: Rebirth #1, written by Scott Snyder and Tom King with art by Miken Janin.

And, just so Marvel doesn’t feel neglected, we close the show by talking about:

Civil War II #1, written by Brian Michael Bendis with art by David Marquez!

And, as always, the disclaimers:

This show contains spoilers. If you want to avoid knowing how the DC: Rebirth books end (spoiler alert: no matter what happens, it probably won’t matter next month), then consider yourself warned.

This show contains adult, profane language, and is therefore not safe for work. You want your mom to know what “giddy bottom” means? Get some ear buds.

Thanks for listening, suckers!

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2016/06/05/episode-116-they-lebowskied-superman/feed/0It’s the first full week of DC Comics: Rebirth, and not a single Watchmen character appears in those issues, so we decided it would be a good opportunity to complain again about Watchmen characters appearing in the DC Universe. Specifically,Well, it's the first full week of DC Comics: Rebirth, and not a single Watchmen character appears in those issues, so we decided it would be a good opportunity to complain again about Watchmen characters appearing in the DC Universe.<br />
<br />
Specifically, it was revealed this week that DC Comics didn't contact Watchmen artist Dave Gibbons to ask him his opinion about adding Watchmen characters to Dc Universe: Rebirth. So we talk about whether that was a bush league move (protip: yeah), some of the history around DC leaving Watchmen alone, and whether DC Editorial really had any choice in asking for Gibbons or writer Alan Moore for even a half-hearted blessing in using their characters in Rebirth.<br />
<br />
Then, since we were on a Rebirth roll, we discussed all this week's titles from that event: Superman: Rebirth #1, written by Peter Tomasi with art by Doug Mahnke, Green Arrow: Rebirth #1, written by Benjamin Percy with art by Otto Schmidt, Green Lanterns: Rebirth #1, written by Geoff Johns and Sam Humphries with art by Ethan Van Sciver and Ed Benes, and Batman: Rebirth #1, written by Scott Snyder and Tom King with art by Miken Janin.<br />
<br />
And, just so Marvel doesn't feel neglected, we close the show by talking about Civil War II #1, written by Brian Michael Bendis with art by David Marquez!Crisis On Infinite Midlivesyes94:0811333Episode 115: Death, Taxes and Chris Hardwickhttp://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2016/05/29/episode-115-death-taxes-and-chris-hardwick/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2016/05/29/episode-115-death-taxes-and-chris-hardwick/#respondMon, 30 May 2016 02:30:04 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=11326It’s the end of the week of May 25th, 2016: the Wednesday the Big Two drooled on themselves, shrieked “Excelsior!” into the Black Void, and keeled over. At least if you believe the Internet comments.

But before we talk about that, there was one major positive for comics fans this week: AMC debuted the pilot episode of their adaptation of Garth Ennis’s and Steve Dillon’s Preacher this past Sunday. We’re big fans of the comic, which really meant something to us… back when we were in our twenties, same as the characters back in the original 1990s comic. Both we and the comic are older now, with different lifestyles and priorities, so the question is not only whether or not Preacher is a worthy adaptation of the classic Vertigo comic, but can it have the same effect as it did when we were in our twenties?

This show contains spoilers. So be aware: if you haven’t been spoiled on the events of either Steve Rogers: Captain America #1 or DC Universe: Rebirth #1, then you clearly haven’t had any access to the Internet and therefore can’t read this warning anyway. But rest assured: we’ll be spoiling them.

This show contains adult, profane language, and is therefore not safe for work. We recite Preacher’s recipe for making a homemade bazooka in this episode. You don’t want your boss to hear that any more than we want this episode entered into evidence in a Felony Menacing trial. So get some headphones.

Thanks for listening, suckers!

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2016/05/29/episode-115-death-taxes-and-chris-hardwick/feed/0It’s the end of the week of May 25th, 2016: the Wednesday the Big Two drooled on themselves, shrieked “Excelsior!” into the Black Void, and keeled over. At least if you believe the Internet comments. But before we talk about that,It's the end of the week of May 25th, 2016: the Wednesday the Big Two drooled on themselves, shrieked "Excelsior!" into the Black Void, and keeled over. At least if you believe the Internet comments.<br />
<br />
But before we talk about that, there was one major positive for comics fans this week: AMC debuted the pilot episode of their adaptation of Garth Ennis's and Steve Dillon's Preacher this past Sunday. We're big fans of the comic, which really meant something to us... back when we were in our twenties, same as the characters back in the original 1990s comic. Both we and the comic are older now, with different lifestyles and priorities, so the question is not only whether or not Preacher is a worthy adaptation of the classic Vertigo comic, but can it have the same effect as it did when we were in our twenties?<br />
<br />
That's the good news. The bad news is that we also discuss: Steve Rogers: Captain America #1, written by Nick Spencer with art by Jesus Saiz, and: DC Universe: Rebirth #1, written by Geoff Johns with art by, well, many, many people!Crisis On Infinite Midlivesyes11326Episode 114: Ambush Bug Presents: The Babysitters’ Club, Starring Damian Waynehttp://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2016/05/22/episode-114-ambush-bug-presents-the-babysitters-club-starring-damian-wayne/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2016/05/22/episode-114-ambush-bug-presents-the-babysitters-club-starring-damian-wayne/#respondMon, 23 May 2016 02:42:11 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=11320Here’s a warning about this week’s episode right out of the gate: details about DC Universe: Rebirth #1 have leaked to Reddit, including images from that issue. The user who leaked the pages has since deleted his or her account, but those images have been picked up and published by Bleeding Cool (Seriously: there are massive spoilers at that link, so beware), and have led to major spoilers about the book being published across the comics Internet. And those images and spoilers contain a revelation that is not only startling, but infuriating, if not downright rage-inciting, for fans of a particular classic comics property. Like, we sat down to plan this week’s show, found this news item, and chucked everything so we could fume about this move. It stands to possibly be bad, bad mojo for fans of DC who date back to the 1980s.

And we talk about that revelation. So if you want to avoid spoilers for DC Universe: Rebirth #1, you should avoid listening to this week’s episode until you pick up this week’s comics on Wednesday, May 25th. But if you’re not concerned about spoilers, and you care about the legacy of one of the great superhero comics works of the last thirty years, jump on in! We’ll never compromise! Not even in the face of Armageddon!

We also discuss:

Future Quest #1, written by Jeff Parker with art by Evan “Doc” Shaner and Steve Rude,

Chilling Adventures of Sabrina #5, written by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa with art by Robert Hack, and:

Civil War II #0, written by Brian Michael Bendis with art by Olivier Coipel!

And, the usual disclaimers:

This show contains spoilers. Like, terrible spoilers for DC Universe: Rebirth #1. So if you don’t want to have the terrible spoiler revealed, it’s up to you. I leave it entirely within your hands.

This show contains adult, profane language, and is therefore not safe for work. If your version of The American Dream is to get fired for listening to bad language at work, it’ll come true. You’re looking at it.

Thanks for listening, suckers!

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2016/05/22/episode-114-ambush-bug-presents-the-babysitters-club-starring-damian-wayne/feed/0Here’s a warning about this week’s episode right out of the gate: details about DC Universe: Rebirth #1 have leaked to Reddit, including images from that issue. The user who leaked the pages has since deleted his or her account,Here's a warning about this week's episode right out of the gate: details about DC Universe: Rebirth #1 have leaked to Reddit, including images from that issue. The user who leaked the pages has since deleted his or her account, but those images have been picked up and published by Bleeding Cool (Seriously: there are massive spoilers at that link, so beware), and have led to major spoilers about the book being published across the comics Internet. And those images and spoilers contain a revelation that is not only startling, but infuriating, if not downright rage-inciting, for fans of a particular classic comics property. Like, we sat down to plan this week's show, found this news item, and chucked everything so we could fume about this move. It stands to possibly be bad, bad mojo for fans of DC who date back to the 1980s.<br />
<br />
And we talk about that revelation. So if you want to avoid spoilers for DC Universe: Rebirth #1, you should avoid listening to this week's episode until you pick up this week's comics on Wednesday, May 25th. But if you're not concerned about spoilers, and you care about the legacy of one of the great superhero comics works of the last thirty years, jump on in! We'll never compromise! Not even in the face of Armageddon!<br />
<br />
We also discuss: Future Quest #1, written by Jeff Parker with art by Evan "Doc" Shaner and Steve Rude, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, written by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa with art by Robert Hack, and: Civil War II #0, written by Brian Michael Bendis with art by Olivier Coipel!Crisis On Infinite Midlivesyes11320Episode 113: Jack Daniels Is My Agatha Harknesshttp://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2016/05/15/episode-113-jack-daniels-is-my-agatha-harkness/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2016/05/15/episode-113-jack-daniels-is-my-agatha-harkness/#respondMon, 16 May 2016 03:00:26 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=11313It has been a stone bummer of a week when it comes to comic news. From the tragic loss of Darwyn Cooke to DC Comics having to release a statement on sexual harassment in the face of protests over allegations about Superman Group Editor Eddie Berganza, there haven’t been a lot of smiles in comics this week. Hell, when the most welcome news is that Supergirl was renewed and only has to reduce their budget and expatriate to Canada, you’re not talking a barrel of laughs.

But these things all happened, so we talk about them. Particularly the DC Comics harassment issue, as one of us was once harassed in the manner and circumstances in which Berganza is accused of harassing someone back in 2012, and therefore we wanted to share our perspective on it.

But we hate dwelling on negatives in our favorite hobby, so we spend more time than usual talking about actual comics this week, discussing:

Southern Bastards #14, written by Jason Aaron with art by Jason Latour,

The Vision #7, written by Tom King with art by Michael Walsh,

Starfire #12, written by Amanda Conner and Jimmy Palmiotti with art by Elsa Charretier, and

Powers #6, written by Brian Michael Bendis with art by Michael Avon Oeming!

And, the disclaimers:

This show contains spoilers. We will ruin the ending of the latest Powers story line for you… but then again, since it’s been seven months since the last issue, you probably don’t remember how the story line started.

This show contains adult, profane language, and therefore is not safe for work. Sure, the concept of a “kitten chaser” sounds benign, but do you want to risk your employment on it? Didn’t think so. Buy earphones.

Thanks for listening, suckers!

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2016/05/15/episode-113-jack-daniels-is-my-agatha-harkness/feed/0It has been a stone bummer of a week when it comes to comic news. From the tragic loss of Darwyn Cooke to DC Comics having to release a statement on sexual harassment in the face of protests over allegations about Superman Group Editor Eddie Berganza,It has been a stone bummer of a week when it comes to comic news. From the tragic loss of Darwyn Cooke to DC Comics having to release a statement on sexual harassment in the face of protests over allegations about Superman Group Editor Eddie Berganza, there haven't been a lot of laughs in comics this week. Hell, when the most welcome news is that Supergirl was renewed and only has to reduce their budget and expatriate to Canada, you're not talking a barrel of laughs.<br />
<br />
But these things all happened, so we talk about them. Particularly the DC Comics harassment issue, as one of us was once harassed in the manner and circumstances in which Berganza is accused of harassing someone back in 2012, and therefore we wanted to share our perspective on it.<br />
<br />
But we hate dwelling on negatives in our favorite hobby, so we spend more time than usual talking about actual comics this week, discussing: Southern Bastards #14, written by Jason Aaron with art by Jason Latour, The Vision #7, written by Tom King with art by Michael Walsh, Starfire #12, written by Amanda Conner and Jimmy Palmiotti with art by Elsa Charretier, and Powers #6, written by Brian Michael Bendis with art by Michael Avon Oeming!Crisis On Infinite Midlivesyes82:4811313Episode 112: Civil War, or: I Found Vibe On JDatehttp://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2016/05/10/episode-112-civil-war-or-i-found-vibe-on-jdate/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2016/05/10/episode-112-civil-war-or-i-found-vibe-on-jdate/#respondWed, 11 May 2016 00:58:43 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=11309It feels like only yesterday that we were discussing why a movie about superheroes fighting each other was a painful, depressing and contrived experience, doesn’t it? Well, good news! We can put Batman V. Superman: Dawn of Justice out of our minds, because we’ve got another movie about superheroes trying to kick each other in the junk!

Captain America: Civil War opened in the United States last week, so in the interest of equal time with Batman V. Superman, we have brought back the same guests we discussed that movie with: comedians Ross Garmil and Benari Poulten!

In a much different discussion than we had about Civil War’s DC counterpart, we all talk about what worked with the movie, the few parts that didn’t, how 20 minutes of Spider-Man in this flick feels more true to the character that his preceding ten hours of film appearances, how the last person we saw as quickly and thoroughly defeated as one of Civil War’s heroes was Shelley Levine from Glengarry Glen Ross, and how Civil War is, figuratively and (somewhat) literally, Marvel’s The Empire Strikes Back.

And, as always, the disclaimers:

This show contains spoilers. Like, we will ruin the entirety of Civil War for you. We’ll tell you who gets killed. We’ll tell you who gets crippled. We’ll tell you who teaches The Vision how to love with a floppy copy of Conficker and a tube of Astroglide. We’ll tell you which of the three preceding plot points is false.

The show contains adult, profane language, and is therefore not safe for work. Picture your mom hearing four adults cackling about the Astroglide thing. Yeah, buy some ear buds.

Thanks for listening, suckers!

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2016/05/10/episode-112-civil-war-or-i-found-vibe-on-jdate/feed/0It feels like only yesterday that we were discussing why a movie about superheroes fighting each other was a painful, depressing and contrived experience, doesn’t it? Well, good news! We can put Batman V. Superman: Dawn of Justice out of our minds,It feels like only yesterday that we were discussing why a movie about superheroes fighting each other was a painful, depressing and contrived experience, doesn't it? Well, good news! We can put Batman V. Superman: Dawn of Justice out of our minds, because we've got another movie about superheroes trying to kick each other in the junk!<br />
<br />
Captain America: Civil War opened in the United States last week, so in the interest of equal time with Batman V. Superman, we have brought back the same guests we discussed that movie with: comedians Ross Garmil and Benari Poulten!<br />
<br />
In a much different discussion than we had about Civil War's DC counterpart, we all talk about what worked with the movie, the few parts that didn't, how 20 minutes of Spider-Man in this flick feels more true to the character that his preceding ten hours of film appearances, how the last person we saw as quickly and thoroughly defeated as one of Civil War's heroes was Shelley Levine from Glengarry Glen Ross, and how Civil War is, figuratively and (somewhat) literally, Marvel's The Empire Strikes Back.Crisis On Infinite Midlivesyes11309We’re Stacking Boxes, Carlhttp://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2016/05/10/were-stacking-boxes-carl/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2016/05/10/were-stacking-boxes-carl/#respondTue, 10 May 2016 16:51:30 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=11306Due to an unexpected commitment, this week’s show is not quite ready. We’ll finish editing and will post it later today.

Sorry for the unexpected further delay.

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2016/05/10/were-stacking-boxes-carl/feed/011306You’ve Got A Mother, Don’t You, Punk?http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2016/05/08/youve-got-a-mother-dont-you-punk/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2016/05/08/youve-got-a-mother-dont-you-punk/#respondSun, 08 May 2016 23:09:51 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=11303Our show this week will be about Captain America: Civil War, with guests who, at this point, are regulars for our shows about the big comic book / superhero flicks: comedians Benari Poulten and Ross Garmil.

But here’s the thing: this is Mother’s Day. Which means that navigating the litany of commitments, not only to see the movie, but to convince our mothers that the eighteen years they spent on us were valued and that we should remain firmly in the will, was difficult at best.

We will be recording the show tonight, and it will be available, here and where finer podcasts are distributed, tomorrow night.

Sorry for the delay. And yes, despite ugly and slanderous rumors about being grown in a vat and raised by a pack of North American Trash Panda Raccoons, even I have a mother.

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2016/05/08/youve-got-a-mother-dont-you-punk/feed/011303Episode 111: Tom Wopat Is Zoomhttp://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2016/05/01/episode-111-tom-wopat-is-zoom/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2016/05/01/episode-111-tom-wopat-is-zoom/#respondMon, 02 May 2016 02:42:29 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=11301After a busy week of vacationing, video gaming, and day job hunting, we are back, just in time to deal with the latest comics vs. filmed adaptation battle!

If you are a fan of The CW’s The Flash, you know that the current storyline involves Zoom from Earth-2, and his relationship to Golden Age Flash Jay Garrick. There was quite a twist around that relationship in the show, and it’s one that infuriated long-time Flash comic book writer Mark Waid, who complained that it was a betrayal of Garrick’s comic book past.

And while this is unique given that it comes from a comic creator, it reminded us about years and years of comic fan outrage over differences between the comics we love and the adaptations that they beget… and yet it also reminded us that some movies and TV shows based on our favorite characters have made much bigger changes than have happened on The Flash, and yet no one seemed to mind.

So in between fan outrage over Batman V. Superman: Dawn of Justice and fan excitement over Captain America: Civil War, we talk about what makes we fans excited about some adaptations and nitpick over others, and why we’re okay when Superman kills Zod in Superman II but not in Man of Steel.

We also discuss:

Batman #51, written by Scott Snyder with art by Greg Capullo, and:

4 Kids Walk Into A Bank #1 written by Matthew Rosenberg with art by Tyler Boss!

And, as usual, the disclaimers:

This show contains spoilers. If you don’t want to find out about plot points in The Flash, or who has the title of The One True Ringworm, tread lightly.

This show contains adult, profane language, and is therefore not safe for work. You want your mom to know who or what “The DIck Flash” is? Then get some headphones.

Thanks for listening, suckers!

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2016/05/01/episode-111-tom-wopat-is-zoom/feed/0After a busy week of vacationing, video gaming, and day job hunting, we are back, just in time to deal with the latest comics vs. filmed adaptation battle! If you are a fan of The CW’s The Flash, you know that the current storyline involves Zoom from E...If you are a fan of The CW's The Flash, you know that the current storyline involves Zoom from Earth-2, and his relationship to Golden Age Flash Jay Garrick. There was quite a twist around that relationship in the show, and it's one that infuriated long-time Flash comic book writer Mark Waid, who complained that it was a betrayal of Garrick's comic book past.<br />
<br />
And while this is unique given that it comes from a comic creator, it reminded us about years and years of comic fan outrage over differences between the comics we love and the adaptations that they beget... and yet it also reminded us that some movies and TV shows based on our favorite characters have made much bigger changes than have happened on The Flash, and yet no one seemed to mind.<br />
<br />
So in between fan outrage over Batman V. Superman: Dawn of Justice and fan excitement over Captain America: Civil War, we talk about what makes we fans excited about some adaptations and nitpick over others, and why we're okay when Superman kills Zod in Superman II but not in Man of Steel.<br />
<br />
We also discuss Batman #51, written by Scott Snyder with art by Greg Capullo, and 4 Kids Walk Into A Bank #1 written by Matthew Rosenberg with art by Tyler Boss!Crisis On Infinite Midlivesyes11301Is It A Game, or Is It Real?http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2016/04/25/is-it-a-game-or-is-it-real/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2016/04/25/is-it-a-game-or-is-it-real/#commentsTue, 26 Apr 2016 01:10:38 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=11298Here’s an interesting fact: no matter how much you might have dreamed, at twelve years old in 1983, that you might someday reach the day when you could spend an entire weekend at the biggest video arcade in the world, with unlimited tokens with which to attack the Tron machine? That dream probably didn’t include being 44 years old and capable of being physically exhausted from playing that Tron machine… and yet no more capable of clearing the third level than you were in the days when Bruce Boxleitner was considered a viable theatrical box office draw.

My point is that we we spent the last weekend of our vacation at Funspot in New Hampshire playing classic 80s video games, and didn’t wind up getting home until much later than expected last night. As such, we didn’t have time to record a new show this weekend, and what with not only being back at our day jobs, but being back there with a week’s worth of work to catch up on, well, we need to punt on this week’s episode.

Thanks for your patience, and stay tuned for a new episode this weekend!

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2016/04/25/is-it-a-game-or-is-it-real/feed/211298Episode 110: How Do You Solve A Problem Like A Negan?http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2016/04/18/episode-110-how-do-you-solve-a-problem-like-a-negan/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2016/04/18/episode-110-how-do-you-solve-a-problem-like-a-negan/#respondTue, 19 Apr 2016 03:13:05 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=11292We have been fans of The Walking Dead since the seventh issue of the comic book. That means that we have hung in with Rick Grimes and company, and their doomed world, for literally almost twelve years. We’ve stuck with them through prisons, and horrors performed in Woodbury, and the semi-friendly takeover of Alexandria, and All-Out War, and The Whisperers. For more than a quarter of our lives. Which meant we were surprised last week, after the conclusion of season six of The Walking Dead series, the opening of Fear The Walking Dead season two, and the release of the comic’s 153rd issue, when Rob said he might not have the wherewithal to watch these people take a beating anymore.

So this week, we examine the state of The Walking Dead. From the TV show’s introduction of Negan and the extended beating that probably means for Rick and company, to Fear The Walking Dead and how its prequel nature means that we will be spending 18 episodes with people we know are doomed to wind up in the world of The Walking Dead no matter what they try, to the comic and its reintroduction not only of Negan, but his “costume” and weapon. And we discuss whether the story, in all its incarnations, has finally become so bleak, depressing and hopeless to want to follow. And we talk about whether the comic book has been transformed from a story into a property, making it impossible to ever end in a satisfying manner.

We also discuss:

Moon Knight #1, written by Jeff Lemire with art by Greg Smallwood and Jordie Bellaire, and:

Jackpot! #1, written by Ray Fawkes with art by Marco Failla!

And, the disclaimers:

This show contains huge spoilers for the end of The Walking Dead season six, the opening of Fear The Walking Dead season 2, and big ol’ chunks of the Walking Dead comic. While we try to shout out warnings ahead of time, be aware the we will ruin the fact that the world of The Walking Dead is a stone cold bummer.

This show contains adult, profane language, and is therefore not safe for work. You want your boss to learn about “The Thighs of Death”? Then get some Headphones of Continued Employment.

Thanks for listening, suckers!

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2016/04/18/episode-110-how-do-you-solve-a-problem-like-a-negan/feed/0We have been fans of The Walking Dead since the seventh issue of the comic book. That means that we have hung in with Rick Grimes and company, and their doomed world, for literally almost twelve years. We’ve stuck with them through prisons,We have been fans of The Walking Dead since the seventh issue of the comic book. That means that we have hung in with Rick Grimes and company, and their doomed world, for literally almost twelve years. We've stuck with them through prisons, and horrors performed in Woodbury, and the semi-friendly takeover of Alexandria, and All-Out War, and The Whisperers. For more than a quarter of our lives. Which meant we were surprised last week, after the conclusion of season six of The Walking Dead series, the opening of Fear The Walking Dead season two, and the release of the comic's 153rd issue, when Rob said he might not have the wherewithal to watch these people take a beating anymore.<br />
<br />
So this week, we examine the state of The Walking Dead. From the TV show's introduction of Negan and the extended beating that probably means for Rick and company, to Fear The Walking Dead and how its prequel nature means that we will be spending 18 episodes with people we know are doomed to wind up in the world of The Walking Dead no matter what they try, to the comic and its reintroduction not only of Negan, but his "costume" and weapon. And we discuss whether the story, in all its ancarnations, has finally become so bleak, depressing and hopeless to want to follow. And we talk about whether the comic book has been transformed from a story into a property, making it impossible to ever end in a satisfying manner.<br />
<br />
We also discuss: Moon Knight #1, written by Jeff Lemire with art by Greg Smallwood and Jordie Bellaire, and Jackpot! #1, written by Ray Fawkes with art by Marco Failla!Crisis On Infinite Midlivesyes11292…A Buck Shorthttp://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2016/04/17/a-buck-short/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2016/04/17/a-buck-short/#respondSun, 17 Apr 2016 23:20:13 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=11289Look, I’m not gonna lie to you: we’re on vacation here at the Crisis On Infinite Midlives Home Office. Normally that wouldn’t preclude us from having a show up on time, but since Amanda is also feeling a little under the weather, well, we’re gonna need a little extra time.

But we’ll give you the same answer we give our bookie: we’ll have what we promised for you by tomorrow night at the latest, thanks for being so patient and understanding, PLEASE NOT OUR LEGS WE NEED OUR LEGS TO KICK ASS…

Ahem. The new episode will be up by tomorrow night, we swear.

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2016/04/17/a-buck-short/feed/011289Episode 109: Aliens Vs. Predator Vs. My Little Ponyhttp://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2016/04/10/episode-109-aliens-vs-predator-vs-my-little-pony/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2016/04/10/episode-109-aliens-vs-predator-vs-my-little-pony/#respondMon, 11 Apr 2016 02:36:23 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=11284Convention season has been underway for a few weeks now, but what with Image Expo happening this past Wednesday in Seattle, followed almost immediately by Emerald City Comicon happening only days later in the same city, this is one of the bigger weeks for comics news we’ve had in quite a while.

So while we tried to distract ourselves from our disappointment that we were unable to finagle a trip across the country to see these conventions in person with a viewing of The Death of Superman Lives: What Happened?, we still found ourselves following the comics news about the announcements coming from each event.

Black Panther #1, written by Ta-Nehisi Coates, with art by Brian Stelfreeze, and:

The Fix #1, written by Nick Spencer, with art by Steve Lieber!

And, the normal disclaimers:

This show contains spoilers. If you don’t want to hear why The Black MondayMurders by Jonathan Hickman will be the comic most likely to give you maps and sadness, tread lightly.

This show contains adult, profane language, and is therefore not safe for work. You want your boss to hear about why it’s awesome to consume Incompetence Porn? Then get some headphones.

Thanks for listening, suckers!

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2016/04/10/episode-109-aliens-vs-predator-vs-my-little-pony/feed/0Convention season has been underway for a few weeks now, but what with Image Expo happening this past Wednesday in Seattle, followed almost immediately by Emerald City Comicon happening only days later in the same city,Convention season has been underway for a few weeks now, but what with Image Expo happening this past Wednesday in Seattle, followed almost immediately by Emerald City Comicon happening only days later in the same city, this is one of the bigger weeks for comics news we’ve had in quite a while. So while we […]Crisis On Infinite Midlivesyes11284Episode 108: Your Mother Works At Applebees, or: Dissecting Batman V Supermanhttp://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2016/04/03/episode-108-your-mother-works-at-applebees-or-dissecting-batman-v-superman/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2016/04/03/episode-108-your-mother-works-at-applebees-or-dissecting-batman-v-superman/#respondMon, 04 Apr 2016 02:36:53 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=11273If you’ve listened to this show for any length of time, you know that Rob has long been a defender of Man of Steel as potentially an excellent Superman movie, provided that we would eventually discover in subsequent sequels that Superman learned from the events of that movie to become more of the hero that we all know from the comics.

Well, the first sequel, Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice, was released last week, finally answering the question as to whether Rob’s faith in Man of Steel was justified. And I think we all know the answer to that question.

But it’s still a question worth probing. So this week, we’re joined by longtime friends of the show, comedians Ross Garmil and Benari Poulten, not to praise Batman V Superman, but to bury it. And while we all agree that there were some positive aspects to the movie (hi, Wonder Woman!), it is far outweighed by plot problems, a Lex Luthor who wants to be The Joker when he grows up, and a Superman who will do anything to defend Justice provided “Justice” is Lois Lane’s stripper name. If nothing else, it made us nostalgic for Christopher Reeve’s version of Superman, or at least Joe Kelly’s version in What’s So Funny About Truth, Justice and The American Way?

And, as usual, the disclaimers:

Benari was unexpectedly trapped in an area with terrible Internet access, requiring him to join us by telephone. While the call quality was clear and never drops out in the episode, it will sound like one of us is, well, calling in on the phone.

This show contains huge spoilers. So if you don’t want to find out why we suspect that the ship Superman rode to Earth was called the USS Joe Chill, see the movie before listening.

This show contains adult, profane language, and is therefore not safe for work. If you don’t want your employer to learn the terms, “Bat Christ” or “Batman: The Gay Blade,” get yourself some headphones.

Thanks for listening, suckers!

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2016/04/03/episode-108-your-mother-works-at-applebees-or-dissecting-batman-v-superman/feed/0If you’ve listened to this show for any length of time, you know that Rob has long been a defender of Man of Steel as potentially an excellent Superman movie, provided that we would eventually discover in subsequent sequels that Superman learned from t...If you've listened to this show for any length of time, you know that Rob has long been a defender of Man of Steel as potentially an excellent Superman movie, provided that we discover in subsequent sequels that Superman learned from the events of that movie to become more of the hero that we all know from the comics.<br />
<br />
Well, the first sequel, Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice, was finally released last week, finally answering the question as to whether Rob's faith in Man of Steel was justified. And I think we all know the answer to that question.<br />
<br />
But it's still a question worth probing. So this week, we're joined by longtime friends of the show, comedians Ross Garmil and Benari Poulten, not to praise Batman V Superman, but to bury it. And while we all agree that there were some positive aspects to the movie (hi, Wonder Woman!), it is far outweighed by plot problems, a Lex Luthor who wants to be The Joker when he grows up, and a Superman who will do anything to defend Justice provided "Justice" is Lois Lane's stripper name. If nothing else, it made us nostalgic for Christopher Reeve's version of Superman, or at least Joe Kelly's version in What's So Funny About Truth, Justice and The American Way?Crisis On Infinite Midlivesyes11273Episode 107: Make Atlantis Great Againhttp://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2016/03/27/episode-107-make-atlantis-great-again/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2016/03/27/episode-107-make-atlantis-great-again/#respondMon, 28 Mar 2016 02:28:11 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=11263There were two big comics-related items in the news this week: the premiere of Zack Snyder’s Batman V. Superman: Dawn of Justice, and the reveal of the creative teams attached to DC’s semi-kinda reboot, Rebirth. And while the Internet is abuzz with opinions about the movie, since work and family holiday commitments meant that we had to schedule our regular movie-related guests, comedians Benari Poulten and Ross Garmil, for next weekend, well, that means we’re talking Rebirth.

DC Entertainment live-streamed the Wondercon Panel where they announced the creative teams and gave up some teases as to the directions of some of the upcoming books, and while I certainly encourage you to watch it for yourself, it’s an hour and a half long and you have stuff to do. So we watched it for you, so we could discuss the books, the creative teams, and bring you some of the key audio from the panel!

Due to limited time this week, we don’t talk about any specific comics from this week. However, that doesn’t change the fact that this show contains adult, profane language, and is therefore not safe for work. You want your employer to learn about the origin of Microcephalic Superman? Then get some headphones.

Thanks for listening, suckers!

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2016/03/27/episode-107-make-atlantis-great-again/feed/0There were two big comics-related items in the news this week: the premiere of Zack Snyder’s Batman V. Superman: Dawn of Justice, and the reveal of the creative teams attached to DC’s semi-kinda reboot, Rebirth.There were two big comics-related items in the news this week: the premiere of Zack Snyder's Batman V. Superman: Dawn of Justice, and the announcement of the creative teams attached to DC's semi-kinda reboot, Rebirth. And while the Internet is abuzz with opinions about the movie, since work and family holiday commitments meant that we had to schedule our regular movie-related guests, comedians Benari Poulten and Ross Garmi, for next weekend, well, that means we're talking Rebirth.<br />
<br />
DC Entertainment live-streamed the Wondercon Panel where they announced the creative teams and gave up some teases as to the directions of some of the upcoming books, and while I certainly encourage you to watch it for yourself, it's an hour and a half long and you have stuff to do. So we watched it for you, so we could discuss the books, the creative teams, and bring you some of the key audio from the panel!Crisis On Infinite Midlivesyes11263Bad Dateshttp://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2016/03/22/bad-dates/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2016/03/22/bad-dates/#respondTue, 22 Mar 2016 23:45:01 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=11259Here’s the deal: we finished watching Daredevil season two on Sunday, and were planning on taping the show right afterwards… But I asked Amanda if we could hold off for an hour or so to let my stomach settle.

Cut to two hours later, and I’m drooling into the toilet, praying for the taste of lunch’s General Gao to go the hell away.

Long story short: I’ve had one HELL of a case of food poisoning, and am just beginning to feel comfortable being more than three steps away from a bathroom.

So here’s the plan: we will do our show about Daredevil season two next weekend. Which works out, because our guests for our Batman V Superman show, comedians Benari Poulten and Ross Garmil, can’t connect with us until the first weekend of April.

So sorry for the inconvenience this week, but if the creek don’t rise and the Imodium keeps working, we’ll be back next week!

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2016/03/22/bad-dates/feed/011259Episode 106: You Can’t Fridge That, or: In Defense of The Killing Jokehttp://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2016/03/13/episode-106-you-cant-fridge-that-or-in-defense-of-the-killing-joke/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2016/03/13/episode-106-you-cant-fridge-that-or-in-defense-of-the-killing-joke/#respondMon, 14 Mar 2016 03:19:10 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=11255Last week, in Batgirl #49 – a comic with an apparent target demographic of Millennials – writer Cameron Stewart and artist Babs Tarr told a story that could be seen as retconning the events of Alan Moore’s and Brian Bolland’s 1988 one-shot, Batman: The Killing Joke.In the wake of that story, Stewart argued that his story could be seen as a retconning of The Killing Joke, or not, depending on how you interpret the story… as if the plot of a story that is intertwined in almost 30 years of DC history and countless dozens of titles and stories could be considered subjective to “your own personal truth.”

During that same week, another comics podcast – one hosted by Millennials – that we greatly respect did an episode calling The Killing Joke problematic due to its treatment of Barbara Gordon, and arguably overrated and unnecessary.

These attitudes toward The Killing Joke are somewhat understandable, given the concept of “women in refrigerators” that arose in comics fandom in 1999, and the fact that Moore chose to have Joker sexually assault Barbara Gordon in the story. Because of these elements, it’s easy to dismiss the story as dated and problematic… especially if you weren’t alive and actively reading comics in 1988.

Which we were. Which means that we remember that Barbara Gordon wasn’t Batgirl at the time of The Killing Joke. And that The Joker wasn’t really defined as a character at all after Crisis On Infinite Earths until The Killing Joke. And that comics fandom was, at the time, strongly against even Robin, let alone any character from the 1966 Batman television show.

So we decided to, at least up to a point, defend The Killing Joke. Not just from a historical standpoint, but from one of story, questioning whether Barbara was, in fact, fridged in the classic sense… while still agreeing that the sexual assault aspect of the story is completely unnecessary, and asking once question we’ve never seen asked: why didn’t Moore just have Joker kill Barbara?

We also discuss:

Escape From New York #15, written by Christopher Sebela with art by Maxim Simic, and

Doctor Strange #6, written by Jason Aaron with art by Chris Bachalo!

And, the disclaimers:

This show contains spoilers. While we try to shout out warning ahead of time, be aware that we’re going to ruin the ending of a story written 28 years ago that has been referenced in literally hundreds of comic books since then.

This show contains adult, profane language, and is therefore not safe for work. If you don’t want your significant other to learn why Alan Moore could have sold a million photocopies of his butt in 1988, get some headphones.

Thanks for listening, suckers!

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2016/03/13/episode-106-you-cant-fridge-that-or-in-defense-of-the-killing-joke/feed/0Last week, in Batgirl #49 – a comic with an apparent target demographic of Millennials – writer Cameron Stewart and artist Babs Tarr told a story that could be seen as retconning the events of Alan Moore’s and Brian Bolland’s 1988 one-shot,Last week, in Batgirl #49 - a comic with an apparent target demographic of Millennials - writer Cameron Stewart and artist Babs Tarr told a story that could be seen as retconning the events of Alan Moore's and Brian Bolland's 1988 one-shot, Batman: The Killing Joke.In the wake of that story, Stewart argued that his story could be seen as a retconning of The Killing Joke, or not, depending on how you interpret the story... as if the plot of a story that is intertwined in almost 30 years of DC history and countless dozens of titles and stories could be considered subjective to "your own personal truth."<br />
<br />
During that same week, another comics podcast - one hosted by Millennials - that we greatly respect did an episode calling The Killing Joke problematic due to its treatment of Barbara Gordon, and arguably overrated and unnecessary.<br />
<br />
These attitudes toward The Killing Joke are somewhat understandable, given the concept of "women in refrigerators" that arose in comics fandom in 1999, and the fact that Moore chose to have Joker sexually assault Barbara Gordon in the story. Because of these elements, it's easy to dismiss the story as dated and problematic... especially if you weren't alive and actively reading comics in 1988.<br />
<br />
Which we were. Which means that we remember that Barbara Gordon wasn't Batgirl at the time of The Killing Joke. And that The Joker wasn't really defined as a character at all after Crisis On Infinite Earths until The Killing Joke. And that comics fandom was, at the time, strongly against even Robin, let alone any character from the 1966 Batman television show.<br />
<br />
So we decided to, at least up to a point, defend The Killing Joke. Not just from a historical standpoint, but from one of story, questioning whether Barbara was, in fact, fridged in the classic sense... while still agreeing that the sexual assault aspect of the story is completely unnecessary, and asking once question we've never seen asked: why didn't Moore just have Joker kill Barbara?<br />
<br />
We also discuss Escape From New York #15, written by Christopher Sebela with art by Maxim Simic, and Doctor Strange #6, written by Jason Aaron with art by Chris Bachalo!Crisis On Infinite Midlivesyes11255Episode 105: My Struggle… With The X-Files: Reopenedhttp://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2016/03/06/episode-105-my-struggle-with-the-x-files-reopened/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2016/03/06/episode-105-my-struggle-with-the-x-files-reopened/#respondMon, 07 Mar 2016 04:05:09 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=11249Sorry for last week’s unexpected absence, but something unexpected made its way into our home and made us feel terrible. And on a completely unrelated note…

A couple of weeks ago brought us the conclusion of the much-anticipated return of The X-Files. Presented as six episode miniseries meant to function as an official tenth season of the original series (down to the original, shot-on-video opening credits), the event was intended to satisfy both long time fans and newer viewers alike. Meaning that we were the entire target audience – Amanda watched the show from the first episode, whereas Rob has only seen the first couple of seasons on DVD and the movies.

So we talk about the things about the season that worked, the things that unexpectedly delighted us, the elements that were more distracting than anything else… and the things that were simply, truly, irrevocably awful. And while we didn’t agree on everything, there is one thing in which we are lockstep: of all the things that work in The X-Files, Chris Carter should be George Lucas’ed into the cornfield, Disney style.

We also discuss:

The Walking Dead #152, written by Robert Kirkman wih art by Charlie Adlard,

Green Lantern #50, written by Robert Venditti with art by Billy Tan and Vicente Cifuentes, and

Black Widow #1, written by Mark Waid with art by Chris Samnee!

And, the disclaimers:

As we said: we were sick last week. So you’re going to hear more coughing and sniffling than normal. We apologize.

This show contains spoilers. While we try to yell out warnings ahead of time, be aware that we will ruin the ending of The X-Files more thoroughly for you than Chris Carter did. Actually, that’s not possible.

This show contains adult, profane language, and is therefore not safe for work. Do you want your employer to learn how to violate millions of television viewers with a move I like to call the Sudden Stem Cell Trespass? Then get some headphones.

Thanks for listening, suckers!

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2016/03/06/episode-105-my-struggle-with-the-x-files-reopened/feed/0Sorry for last week’s unexpected absence, but something unexpected made its way into our home and made us feel terrible. And on a completely unrelated note… A couple of weeks ago brought us the conclusion of the much-anticipated return of The X-Files.A couple of weeks ago brought us the conclusion of the much-anticipated return of The X-Files. Presented as six episode miniseries meant to function as an official tenth season of the original series (down to the original, shot-on-video opening credits), the event was intended to satisfy both long time fans and newer viewers alike. Meaning that we were the entire target audience - Amanda watched the show from the first episode, whereas Rob has only seen the first couple of seasons on DVD and the movies.<br />
<br />
So we talk about the things about the season that worked, the things that unexpectedly delighted us, the elements that were more distracting than anything else... and the things that were simply, truly, irrevocably awful. And while we didn't agree on everything, there is one thing in which we are lockstep: of all the things that work in The X-Files, Chris Carter should be George Lucas'ed into the cornfield, Disney style.<br />
<br />
We also discuss The Walking Dead #152, written by Robert Kirkman wih art by Charlie Adlard, Green Lantern #50, written by Robert Venditti with art by Billy Tan and Vicente Cifuentes, and Black Widow #1, written by Mark Waid with art by Chris Samnee!Crisis On Infinite Midlivesyes11249Calling An Audiblehttp://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2016/02/28/calling-an-audible/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2016/02/28/calling-an-audible/#respondSun, 28 Feb 2016 23:43:09 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=11240Here’s a helpful hint from your old buddy Rob: if you are sick, and you are in a position to skip work to allow yourself to rest, recover, and most importantly, not infect your co-workers with your filthy, dripping scunge? Call in sick. Do you hear me, Andrew, you filthy, diseased animal? You’re a software guy, Andrew; you could’ve worked from home if you’re feeling so Goddamned dedicated to your craft. But no, instead you haul your fevered carcass into the office to sit right across from me, you sonofabitch. Your Trump-over only hides the front of your head, Andrew; I could see individual drops of virulent doom sweat sprouting from the crown of your head, as if you were some kind of pale, awkward Typhoid Mary in a Black Hat conference t-shirt, You suck, Andrew!

…but I digress.

My point is that Amanda and I have spent most of today sleeping off whatever horrors that have invaded our bodies. We sound like crap, and we’ve had no time or energy to properly prepare for this week’s episode. Further, since we have a series of commitments for the remainder of the week, we’re just going to, regrettably, call and audible and go dark for this week.

However! Stick with us, because we’ve got one hell of a March full of episodes in the pipeline for you. Next Sunday, we’ll be back with our recap of the X-FIles six-episode relaunch. On March 21st, we’ll be with you with the results of our binge of Netflix’s Daredevil season two. And on March 28th, we’ll be talking about Batman V. Superman: Dawn of Justice, tentatively with a couple of guests who already feel pretty damn strongly about the movie.

So we apologize for this week, and we thank you for sticking with us. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to sneeze on and furiously shank a homemade doll of a balding geek.

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2016/02/28/calling-an-audible/feed/011240Episode 104: Not Without My Wallyhttp://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2016/02/21/episode-104-not-without-my-wally/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2016/02/21/episode-104-not-without-my-wally/#respondMon, 22 Feb 2016 03:44:30 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=11235Open registration for San Diego Comic-Con 2016 came to us on Saturday… and it left us in less than an hour. As has become the norm, the convention completely sold out in less than an hour, and, like many of you, we were frozen out. So we spend a few minutes talking about how SDCC attendance has basically become a lottery system over which we attendees have no control, and discuss various options for making the con more available, from moving it to another city, to expanding San Diego’s facilities, to engaging in a mutually assured destruction nuclear showdown with the United States Navy.

Otherwise, the big comics news of the week was that DC Comics finally shared some details about their long-teased Rebirth event. And while story details are still scarce, we talk about how DC swears this isn’t a reboot (Even as all but two of their titles are being renumbered to #1), why DC needs to do something like this, what titles we can look forward to starting in June, speculate about what creative teams we’d like to see on those books, and complain that none of those books are Ambush Bug.

We also discuss:

American Monster #2, written by Brian Azzarello with art by Juan Doe, and:

Standoff: Welcome to Pleasant Hill #1, written by Nick Spencer with art by Mark Bagley!

And, the disclaimers:

This show contains spoilers. While we try to shout out warnings ahead of time, be aware that you will hear more theories than you would like about the unholy nature of PuppyMonkeyBaby.

This show contains adult, profane language, and this therefore not safe for work. You want your employer to hear about our devious plan that includes a Deadpool costume, Deely Bobbers and pointed questions about the toilet reading habits of particular members of DC Editorial? Then get some good headphones.

Thanks for listening, suckers!

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2016/02/21/episode-104-not-without-my-wally/feed/0Open registration for San Diego Comic-Con 2016 came to us on Saturday… and it left us in less than an hour. As has become the norm, the convention completely sold out in less than an hour, and, like many of you, we were frozen out.Open registration for San Diego Comic-Con 2016 came to us on Saturday... and it left us in less than an hour. As has become the norm, the convention completely sold out in less than an hour, and, like many of you, we were frozen out. So we spend a few minutes talking about how SDCC attendance has basically become a lottery system over which we attendees have no control, and discuss various options for making the con more available, from moving it to another city, to expanding San Diego's facilities, to engaging in a mutually assured destruction nuclear showdown with the United States Navy.<br />
<br />
Otherwise, the big comics news of the week was that DC Comics finally shared some details about their long-teased Rebirth event. And while story details are still scarce, we talk about how DC swears this isn't a reboot (Even as all but two of their titles are being renumbered to #1), why DC needs to do something like this, what titles we can look forward to starting in May, speculate about what creative teams we'd like to see on those books, and complain that none of those books are Ambush Bug.<br />
<br />
We also discuss American Monster #2, written by Brian Azzarello with art by Juan Doe, and Standoff: Welcome to Pleasant Hill #1, written by Nick Spencer with art by Mark Bagley!Crisis On Infinite Midlivesyes11235Episode 103: Nicolas Cage Is… Ambush Bughttp://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2016/02/15/episode-103-nicolas-cage-is-ambush-bug/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2016/02/15/episode-103-nicolas-cage-is-ambush-bug/#respondTue, 16 Feb 2016 04:47:29 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=11230The cold snap in Boston broke enough for us to not only enter our studio without dying of hypothermia or being drowned out by the roar of our furnace, but to head out into the countryside to our local movie theater to see Deadpool.

Deadpool is a movie that shouldn’t exist. It’s based on a character with a lower Q Score than Irving Forbush, who debuted in arguably the worst superhero movie not starring Dolph Lundgren and Louis Gossett, Jr, starring a man who normally spells the end of comic book franchises. It’s a movie produced and rated for adults, featuring at least three decapitations, two unfortunate prolapses, and one naked Morena Baccarin. And yet: 150 million American dollars in one weekend can’t be wrong, so we break the movie down from the comic fan’s perspective: what worked, what didn’t, why Deadpool doesn’t need an origin story, and why Rob desperately wants DC Films to put Ambush Bug on their schedule.

We also discuss:

Public Relations #5, written by Matthew Sturges and Dave Justus, with art by David Hahn and Jose Marzan, and:

Batman #49, written by Scott Snyder with art by Yanick Paquette!

And, some disclaimers:

This show contains spoilers. While we try to shout out warnings ahead of time, be aware that you might discover that Deadpool is a knockoff of Deathstroke The Terminator.

This show contains adult, profane language, and is therefore not safe for work. You think your boss would be more impressed with your performance if he heard about Amanda’s first exposure to George Michael’s I Want Your Sex? Then get some headphones.

Thanks for listening, suckers!

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2016/02/15/episode-103-nicolas-cage-is-ambush-bug/feed/0The cold snap in Boston broke enough for us to not only enter our studio without dying of hypothermia or being drowned out by the roar of our furnace, but to head out into the countryside to our local movie theater to see Deadpool.Deadpool is a movie that shouldn't exist. It's based on a character with a lower Q Score than Irving Forbush, who debuted in arguably the worst superhero movie not starring Dolph Lundgren and Louis Gossett, Jr, starring a man who normally spells the end of comic book franchises. It's a movie produced and rated for adults, featuring at least three decapitations, two unfortunate prolapses, and one naked Morena Baccarin. And yet: 150 million American dollars in one weekend can't be wrong, so we break the movie down from the comic fan's perspective: what worked, what didn't, why Deadpool doesn't need an origin story, and why Rob desperately wants DC Films to put Ambush Bug on their schedule.<br />
<br />
We also discuss: Public Relations #5, written by Matthew Sturges and Dave Justus, with art by David Hahn and Jose Marzan, and Batman #49, written by Scott Snyder with art by Yanick Paquette!Crisis On Infinite Midlivesyes11230Heat Deathhttp://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2016/02/14/heat-death/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2016/02/14/heat-death/#respondSun, 14 Feb 2016 18:03:52 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=11227Look, here’s the deal: it is just about the coldest day in recorded history here in Boston. This means a couple of things, the first being that there are a lot of miles between us and the closest theater playing Deadpool, and those are miles that would have to be covered in an uninsulated convertible that might, or might not, start on either leg of the trip. It also means that it is cold enough that, were we to deactivate the furnace in our recording studio to prevent a horrible and pervasive droning sound, the show would start okay, devolve into a shivering vibrato and end like The Shining, or perhaps Alive.

Furthermore, it is Valentine’s Day, and about the least romantic thing we can think of is arguing about whether Scott Snyder has too much pull at DC Comics if he can allow a new artist to take over on the penultimate chapter of the Superheavy arc and therefore screw up the visual flow for the trade paperback. Or at least it’s the least romantic thing we can think of when it would followed by our inevitable deaths by hypothermia, or auto-cannibalism.

But fear not! The arctic snap will break tomorrow, so we will have our 103rd episode online tomorrow, with talk about Deadpool, the final Batman V. Superman: Dawn of Justice Trailer, Batman #49, and at least one or two other comics!

Now, if you’ll excuse us, we’re off to set fire to Amanda’s Essential Dazzler books to stave off death. And because disco sucks. It really, really sucks.

Talk to y’all tomorrow!

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2016/02/14/heat-death/feed/011227Episode 102: In Blackest G’northttp://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2016/02/07/episode-102-in-blackest-gnort/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2016/02/07/episode-102-in-blackest-gnort/#respondMon, 08 Feb 2016 03:33:11 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=11222It’s been a couple of weeks since DC Comics Co-Publishers Dan DiDio and Jim Lee tweeted their first teasers toward something called “Rebirth,” and since then, there has been, well, absolutely no concrete hard news whatsoever.

But what there are are rumors. Many, many rumors. From where did the rumors originate? Who knows? But rumors there be, about book cancellations, creative team changes, new books, new first issues, and partial to total reboots. So we talk about them, kick around which sound like good ideas, which seem like terrible mistakes, and wind up in a short-term, love-hate bromance with Dan DiDIo.

We also discuss:

Batman: Europa #4, written by Matteo Casali and Brian Azzarello, with art by Gerald Parel, and:

Spider-Man #1, written by Brian Michael Bendis, with art by Sara Pichelli!

And, the usual disclaimers:

We record this show live to tape, with minimal editing. While this might mean a looser comics podcast than you are used to, it also means that anything can happen. Like finding a very valid, but… shall we say, alternative, use for your comics.

This show contains spoilers. While we try to shout out warnings ahead of time, be aware that you might find out that Batman talks like Phillip Marlowe, and why that’s maybe not a great idea.

This show contains adult, profane language, and is therefore not safe for work. You want your boss to find out what “Gank the wingman” means? Then get some headphones.

Thanks for listening, suckers!

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2016/02/07/episode-102-in-blackest-gnort/feed/0It’s been a couple of weeks since DC Comics Co-Publishers Dan DiDio and Jim Lee tweeted their first teasers toward something called “Rebirth,” and since then, there has been, well, absolutely no concrete hard news whatsoever.It's been a couple of weeks since DC Comics Co-Publishers Dan DiDio and Jim Lee tweeted their first teasers toward something called "Rebirth," and since then, there has been, well, absolutely no concrete hard news whatsoever.<br />
<br />
But what there are are rumors. Many, many rumors. From where did the rumors originate? Who knows? But rumors there be, about book cancellations, creative team changes, new books, new first issues, and partial to total reboots. So we talk about them, kick around which sound like good ideas, which seem like terrible mistakes, and wind up in a short-term, love-hate bromance with Dan DiDIo.<br />
<br />
We also discuss: Batman: Europa #4, written by Matteo Casali and Brian Azzarello, with art by Gerald Parel, and Spider-Man #1, written by Brian Michael Bendis, with art by Sara Pichelli!Crisis On Infinite Midlivesyes1:22:4811222Episode 101: A Thorough Ravenwoodinghttp://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2016/01/31/episode-101-a-thorough-ravenwooding/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2016/01/31/episode-101-a-thorough-ravenwooding/#respondMon, 01 Feb 2016 04:19:49 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=11217It’s been a week since Dan DiDio and Jim Lee hyped an upcoming project or event with a photo of some curtains and the word “Rebirth.” Last week, the comics Internet was abuzz with rumors that it meant a reboot or a return to pre-New 52 continuity or any number of other things. Well, it’s been a week, and in that time, we’ve learned… exactly nothing new whatsoever. But a few tidbits and Tweets have let us to come up with a new theory about the project, which, since we are, after all, part of that selfsame comics Internet, we are more than happy to discuss and kick around.

But one concrete new thing we can all address is the CW show DC’s Legends of Tomorrow. The pilot to the new show aired over the past couple of weeks, so we talk about what parts of the show work, which ones don’t, which characters are gonna need some attention, and why Hawkgirl is part of columns B and C.

We also discuss:

Grayson #16, written by Tim Seeley and Tom King, with art by Mikel Janin, and:

Old Man Logan #1, written by Jeff Lemire with art by Andrea Sorrentino!

And, as usual, some disclaimers:

We record this show live to tape, with minimal editing. While this might mean a looser comics podcast than you are used to, it also means that anything can happen. Like a discussion why Rip Hunter’s time ship should be called “The Re-TARDIS.”

This show contains spoilers. While we try to shout out warnings ahead of time, be aware that we will spoil why Old Man Logan spoils Frank Miller’s and Chris Claremont’s Wolverine.

This show contains adult, profane language, and is therefore not safe for work. You want your boss to find out what happens when a podcast host eats about a million chocolate-covered coffee beans and stares at Batman’s utility belt area? Then get some earbuds.

Thanks for listening, suckers!

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2016/01/31/episode-101-a-thorough-ravenwooding/feed/0It’s been a week since Dan DiDio and Jim Lee hyped an upcoming project or event with a photo of some curtains and the word “Rebirth.” Last week, the comics Internet was abuzz with rumors that it meant a reboot or a return to pre-New 52 continuity or an...It's been a week since Dan DiDio and Jim Lee hyped an upcoming project or event with a photo of some curtains and the word "Rebirth." Last week, the comics Internet was abuzz with rumors that it meant a reboot or a return to pre-New 52 continuity or any number of other things. Well, it's been a week, and in that time, we've learned... exactly nothing new whatsoever. But a few tidbits and Tweets have let us to come up with a new theory about the project, which, since we are, after all, part of that selfsame comics Internet, we are more than happy to discuss and kick around.<br />
<br />
But one concrete new thing we can all address is the CW show DC's Legends of Tomorrow. The pilot to the new show aired over the past couple of weeks, so we talk about what parts of the show work, which ones don't, which characters are gonna need some attention, and why Hawkgirl is part of columns B and C.<br />
<br />
We also discuss: Grayson #16, written by Tim Seeley and Tom King, with art by Mikel Janin, and Old Man Logan #1, written by Jeff Lemire with art by Andrea Sorrentino!Crisis On Infinite Midlivesyes1:43:0211217Episode 100: There Is No Bikini Waxing in Fairylandhttp://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2016/01/24/episode-100-there-is-no-bikini-waxing-in-fairyland/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2016/01/24/episode-100-there-is-no-bikini-waxing-in-fairyland/#respondMon, 25 Jan 2016 04:12:27 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=11204All right, it’s our one hundredth episode. Let’s not make a thing out of it. Seriously: we don’t. Sure, we spend a few minutes reflecting on where we are and where we came from, and maybe have a little too much Liquid Celebration to commemorate making it this far, but honestly? There was too much comics and genre news this week to spend too much time naval gazing.

We start off by discussing this week’s announcement that Star Wars: Episode VIII has been delayed from May to December, 2017. We talk about how the rumor is that the screenwriters want to rework the story to focus more on Finn and Poe, and how the move is a slap in the face to the fortieth anniversary of the debut of Star Wars… but mostly we talk about how waiting for a Star Wars movie is different when you stop being half a decade away from being just a glint in your dad’s eye and start being half a decade away from being a card-carrying member of AARP.

We move on to the news that Doctor Who showrunner Steven Moffat is leaving the show in favor of writer and longtime fan Chris Chibnall… eventually. You know, after 2016, when there will only be a Christmas special. And after Moffat’s farewell season sometime in 2017. Chibnall really should read The Late Shift, that’s all we’re saying.

But that’s not all! Being that kind of week, it was also when Bleeding Cool ran some stories about DC Comics maybe rebooting the DC Universe, maybe returning it to its post-Crisis, pre-New 52 state… or maybe about them doing not very much at all. So we discuss the rumors versus the actual concrete knowledge, and wind up bemoaning the idea of comics that slavishly follow their movie and television counterparts.

And on the comic book front, we discuss:

Batman #48, written by Scott Snyder with art by Greg Capullo,

Titans Hunt #4, written by Dan Abnett with art by Stephen Segovia, and:

I Hate Fairyland #4, written and drawn by Skottie Young!

And, even after 100 episodes, the disclaimers:

We record this show live to tape, with minimal editing. While this might mean a looser comics podcast than you’re used to, it also means that anything can happen. Like learning that, on some level, the only difference between Star Wars and Barney Miller is finger counting.

This show contains spoilers. We try to give you warnings ahead of time, but go into this assuming that we are going to screw up your ability to think of Star Wars without contemplating the sweet release of death.

This show contains adult, profane language, and is therefore not safe for work. Do you think your employer’s life will be enriched by learning the origin of the phrase, “The Wet Thunk”? Then get yourself some headphones.

Thanks for listening for 100 episodes, suckers!

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2016/01/24/episode-100-there-is-no-bikini-waxing-in-fairyland/feed/0All right, it’s our one hundredth episode. Let’s not make a thing out of it. Seriously: we don’t. Sure, we spend a few minutes reflecting on where we are and where we came from, and maybe have a little too much Liquid Celebration to commemorate making ...All right, it's our one hundredth episode. Let's not make a thing out of it. Seriously: we don't. Sure, we spend a few minutes reflecting on where we are and where we came from, and maybe have a little too much Liquid Celebration to commemorate making it this far, but honestly? There was too much comics and genre news this week to spend too much time naval gazing.<br />
<br />
We start off by discussing this week's announcement that Star Wars: Episode VIII has been delayed from May to December, 2017. We talk about how the rumor is that the screenwriters want to rework the story to focus more on Finn and Poe, and how the move is a slap in the face to the fortieth anniversary of the debut of Star Wars... but mostly we talk about how waiting for a Star Wars movie is different when you stop being half a decade away from being just a glint in your dad's eye and start being half a decade away from being a card-carrying member of AARP.<br />
<br />
We move on to the news that Doctor Who showrunner Steven Moffat is leaving the show in favor of writer and longtime fan Chris Chibnell... eventually. You know, after 2016, when there will only be a Christmas special. And after Moffat's farewell season sometime in 2017. Chibnell really should read The Late Shift, that's all we're saying.<br />
<br />
But that's not all! Being that kind of week, it was also when Bleeding Cool ran some stories about DC Comics maybe rebooting the DC Universe, maybe returning it to its post-Crisis, pre-New 52 state... or maybe about them doing not very much at all. So we discuss the rumors versus the actual concrete knowledge, and wind up bemoaning the idea of comics that slavishly follow their movie and television counterparts.<br />
<br />
And on the comic book front, we discuss: Batman #48, written by Scott Snyder with art by Greg Capullo, Titans Hunt #4, written by Dan Abnett with art by Stephen Segovia, and: I Hate Fairyland #4, written and drawn by Skottie Young!Crisis On Infinite Midlivesyes93:5811204Episode 99: Thing Ring, Do Your Ring Jobhttp://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2016/01/17/episode-99-thing-ring-do-your-ring-job/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2016/01/17/episode-99-thing-ring-do-your-ring-job/#respondMon, 18 Jan 2016 04:13:04 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=11199Secret Wars #9 was released this week, marking the official end of the Marvel Universe as created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby (or by Kirby and Lee, depending on whose version you prefer) in the November, 1961 issue of Fantastic Four #1.

Purely by coincidence, this was also the week that our local comic store put used copies of the first two volumes of Marvel’s Essential Fantastic Four reprints on sale. And also purely by coincidence, this was the week we obtained a copy of last year’s Josh Trank-directed movie version of Fantastic Four, with the original plan being to watch it so we could, in good conscience, list it as our worst genre movie of 2015.

However, with both the beginning and the end of Stan and Jack’s Fantastic Four and Marvel Universe in our hands, as well as this wretched little celluloid deviation, we decided it was a perfect time to revisit the team, how much of the Marvel Universe just those first few issues laid down for decades to come, how the comic really was a product of its time (and how the movie was proof of that), and how Jonathan Hickman laid those characters, as they have been since 1961, to rest. And, ultimately, we discuss whether this team, that was born during the Space Race, when Kennedy was President and World War II was closer in history than the Y2K Bug is to us today, could have a future in 2016.

And now, the disclaimers:

We record this show live to tape, with minimal editing. While this might mean a looser comics podcast than you are used to, it also means that anything can happen. Like a discussion why Sue Storm makes Helen of Troy look like Willie Lumpkin.

This show contains spoilers. While we try to shout out warnings ahead of time, be aware that we will spoil the fact that the Fantastic Four movie just sucks.

This show contains adult, profane language, and therefore is not safe for work. See that “Ring Job” in the title? Don’t let your boss hear about that. Get some earphones.

Thanks for listening, suckers!

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2016/01/17/episode-99-thing-ring-do-your-ring-job/feed/0Secret Wars #9 was released this week, marking the official end of the Marvel Universe as created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby (or by Kirby and Lee, depending on whose version you prefer) in the November, 1961 issue of Fantastic Four #1.Secret Wars #9 was released this week, marking the official end of the Marvel Universe as created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby (or by Kirby and Lee, depending on whose version you prefer) in the November, 1961 issue of Fantastic Four #1.<br />
<br />
Purely by coincidence, this was also the week that our local comic store put used copies of the first two volumes of Marvel's Essential Fantastic Four reprints on sale. And also purely by coincidence, this was the week we obtained a copy of last year's Josh Trank-directed movie version of Fantastic Four, with the original plan being to watch it so we could, in good conscience, list it as our worst genre movie of 2015.<br />
<br />
However, with both the beginning and the end of Stan and Jack's Fantastic Four and Marvel Universe in our hands, as well as this wretched little celluloid deviation, we decided it was a perfect time to revisit the team, how much of the Marvel Universe just those first few issues laid down for decades to come, how the comic really was a product of its time (and how the movie was proof of that), and how Jonathan Hickman laid those characters, as they have been since 1961, to rest. And, ultimately, we discuss whether this team, that was born during the Space Race, when Kennedy was President and World War II was closer in history than the Y2K Bug is to us today, could have a future in 2016.Crisis On Infinite Midlivesyes11199Episode 98: The Wang Splashhttp://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2016/01/10/episode-98-the-wang-splash/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2016/01/10/episode-98-the-wang-splash/#respondMon, 11 Jan 2016 03:30:51 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=11194A long time ago, when we barely had the equipment to record people who weren’t in the same room with us, we interviewed a couple of comic creators who were on the cusp of releasing their first print comic through a proper comic book publisher. It was also our first interview with comic creators, on new and untested equipment, and even though everyone involved was on untrod ground, it was one hell of a lot of fun.

Now, a year later, we have much better and more trusted equipment, and a lot more experience talking to people remotely. In addition, those two creators not only released their comic, but got the greenlight to publish a sequel, a bunch of good press around the book, and visited San Diego Comic-Con. And since they are now on the cusp of releasing the trade paperback of the sequel to their first comic, it seemed like a good time to check back in and see how the last year of relative success in comics affected them.

So in this episode, we talk with Holy F*ck and Holy F*cked creators Nick Marino and Daniel Arruda Massa, ostensibly to talk about the impending release of the trade paperback of Holy F*cked… but we also get into what it’s like to have some success in a local indie comics community, the pros and cons of variant covers for indie comics, how 90s comics affected Generation X vs. Generation Y, how San Diego Comic-Con arguably isn’t as big a deal for mid-level creators as it is for anyone else, and acting in reality TV. Oh, and we talk about how Crisis On Infinite Midlives might be the cause of one of the more graphic and talked-about panels in Holy F*cked.

We record this show live to tape, with minimal editing (although we edited a tangent out of our interview that made no sense if you weren’t on the live video feed at the time). While this might mean a looser comics podcast than you are used to, it also means that anything can happen. Like not just a discussion about man-nipples, but a year-long continuation of a discussion about man-nipples.

This show contains spoilers. While we try to yell out warnings ahead of time, just assume you will learn which son of a god will be crucified in Holy F*cked (helpful hint: the answer will totally surprise you!).

This show contains adult, profane language, and is therefore not safe for work. You want to explain to your boss the particular Facts of Life that lead to a baby named “Rad Christ”? Then buy headphones.

Thanks for listening, suckers!

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2016/01/10/episode-98-the-wang-splash/feed/0A long time ago, when we barely had the equipment to record people who weren’t in the same room with us, we interviewed a couple of comic creators who were on the cusp of releasing their first print comic through a proper comic book publisher.A long time ago, when we barely had the equipment to record people who weren't in the same room with us, we interviewed a couple of comic creators who were on the cusp of releasing their first print comic through a proper comic book publisher. It was also our first interview with comic creators, on new and untested equipment, and even though everyone involved was on untrod ground, it was one hell of a lot of fun.<br />
<br />
Now, a year later, we have much better and more trusted equipment, and a lot more experience talking to people remotely. In addition, those two creators not only released their comic, but got the greenlight to publish a sequel, a bunch of good press around the book, and visited San Diego Comic-Con. And since they are now on the cusp of releasing the trade paperback of the sequel to their first comic, it seemed like a good time to check back in and see how the last year of relative success in comics affected them.<br />
<br />
So in this episode, we talk with Holy F*ck and Holy F*cked creators Nick Marino and Daniel Arruda Massa, ostensibly to talk about the impending release of the trade paperback of Holy F*cked... but we also get into what it's like to have some success in a local indie comics community, the pros and cons of variant covers for indie comics, how 90s comics affected Generation X vs. Generation Y, how San Diego Comic-Con arguably isn't as big a deal for mid-level creators as it is for anyone else, and acting in reality TV. Oh, and we talk about how Crisis On Infinite Midlives might be the cause of one of the more graphic and talked-about panels in Holy F*cked. <br />
<br />
Amanda and Rob also discuss Spider-Man / Deadpool #1, written by Joe Casey with art by Ed McGuinness, and Swamp Thing #1, written by Len Wein with art by Kelley Jones!Crisis On Infinite Midlivesyes11194Episode 97: The Stink of Zan and Jayna: The 2015 Crises Awardshttp://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2016/01/03/episode-97-the-stink-of-zan-and-jayna-the-2015-crises-awards/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2016/01/03/episode-97-the-stink-of-zan-and-jayna-the-2015-crises-awards/#respondMon, 04 Jan 2016 03:56:29 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=111912015 is officially ended, and we are celebrating it in the way we lived through it: squealing with glee and complaining with vigor, all through an alcohol and Sudafed-induced haze. That’s right: it’s time for the Second Annual Crises Awards!

2015 was an eventful year for comic and genre fans; a year where, in many categories, the concept of “worst” really means “least good,” and where sometimes “good enough” makes all the difference in the world (You’re still a piece of $%*!, Kylo Ren!). So Amanda and I put together our lists of the best and worst that 2015 had to offer! All to the soundtrack of awful, terrible, public domain and / or fair use awards show sounds!

In this episode, we award and argue about:

Best and Worst Comic Book or Genre Movie,

Best and Worst Comic Book or Genre TV show,

Best and Worst Comic Event or Crossover,

Best and Worst Story Arc or Graphic Novel, and

Most Anticipated and Most Dreaded Geek Events in 2016!

And, awards show or no, we’ve gotta have the disclaimers:

We recorded this show live to tape, with minimal editing. While this might mean a looser comics podcast than you’re used to, it also means that anything can happen. Like yet another story from Amanda’s childhood (spoiler alert: it’s heartbreaking!).

This show contains spoilers. While we try to shout out warnings ahead of time, let’s face reality: we’re talking about an entire year’s worth of genre entertainment. If it’s been a year, it’s your own damn fault.

This show contains adult, profane language, and is therefore not safe for work. We talk about the Fantastic Four movie. You want your boss to hear language like that? Get some earbuds.

Thanks for listening, suckers!

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2016/01/03/episode-97-the-stink-of-zan-and-jayna-the-2015-crises-awards/feed/02015 is officially ended, and we are celebrating it in the way we lived through it: squealing with glee and complaining with vigor, all through an alcohol and Sudafed-induced haze. That’s right: it’s time for the Second Annual Crises Awards!2015 is officially ended, and we are celebrating it in the way we lived through it: squealing with glee and complaining with vigor, all through an alcohol and Sudafed-induced haze. That's right: it's time for the Second Annual Crises Awards!<br />
<br />
2015 was an eventful year for comic and genre fans; a year where, in many categories, the concept of "worst" really means "least good," and where sometimes "good enough" makes all the difference in the world (You're still a piece of $%*!, Kylo Ren!). So Amanda and I put together our lists of the best and worst that 2015 had to offer! All to the soundtrack of awful, terrible, public domain and / or fair use awards show sounds!<br />
<br />
In this episode, we award and argue about:<br />
<br />
Best and Worst Comic Book or Genre Movie,<br />
Best and Worst Comic Book or Genre TV show,<br />
Best and Worst Comic Event or Crossover,<br />
Best and Worst Story Arc or Graphic Novel, and<br />
Most Anticipated and Most Dreaded Geek Events in 2016!Crisis On Infinite Midlivesyes11191Episode 96: Weeping Angel Facepalmhttp://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2015/12/27/episode-96-weeping-angel-facepalm/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2015/12/27/episode-96-weeping-angel-facepalm/#respondMon, 28 Dec 2015 03:34:57 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=11188While we originally planned to list our 2015 Crises awards for the best and worst of the year this week, we were stymied by a combination of holiday travel for Rob, and a crippling cold (and cold medicine high) by Amanda.

So after spending some time talking about what we got for Christmas, and best Christmas memories from childhood (spoiler: none of Amanda’s childhood memories are anything but heartbreaking and hilarious), we talk about the Doctor Who Christmas special, The Husbands of River Song. We talk about the episode’s weird mix of farce and heartstring plucking, how it might mean some solid writing on showrunner Steven Moffat’s part to tie River’s character closely to her first appearance, and how it paints the Doctor as a remorseless and opportunistic genocidal monster. Really.

We also discuss:

DK III #2, written by Frank Miller and Brian Azzarello, with pencils by Andy Kubert and inks by Klaus Janson,

Teen Titans #15, written by Scott Lobdell and Will Pfeifer with art by Ian Churchill and Miguel Mendonca, and:

Darth Vader #14, written by Kieron Gillen with art by Salvador Larroca!

And, the usual disclaimers:

We record this show live to tape, with minimal editing. While this might mean a looser comics podcast than you are used to, it also means that anything can happen. Like the tragic tale of a girl, pseudoephedrine and a busted Etch-A-Sketch.

This show contains spoilers. While we try to shout out warnings ahead of time, just assume that we will explain, in detail, why The Doctor is history’s greatest monster.

This show contains adult, profane language and is therefore not safe for work. You want your employer to know what it means when things go “testacularly”? Then get some headphones.

Thanks for listening, suckers!

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2015/12/27/episode-96-weeping-angel-facepalm/feed/0While we originally planned to list our 2015 Crises awards for the best and worst of the year this week, we were stymied by a combination of holiday travel for Rob, and a crippling cold (and cold medicine high) by Amanda.After spending some time talking about what we got for Christmas, and best Christmas memories from childhood (spoiler: none of Amanda's childhood memories are anything but heartbreaking and hilarious), we talk about the Doctor Who Christmas special, The Husbands of River Song. We talk about the episode's weird mix of farce and heartstring plucking, how it might mean some solid writing on showrunner Steven Moffat's part to tie River's character closely to her first appearance, and how it paints the Doctor as a remorseless and opportunistic genocidal monster. Really.<br />
<br />
We also discuss: DK III #2, written by Frank Miller and Brian Azzarello, with pencils by Andy Kubert and inks by Klaus Janson, Teen Titans #15, written by Scott Lobdell and Will Pfeifer with art by Ian Churchill and Miguel Mendonca, and Darth Vader #14, written by Kieron Gillen with art by Salvador Larroca!Crisis On Infinite Midlivesyes11188Episode 95: Kylo Ren is a Piece of…http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2015/12/20/episode-95-kylo-ren-is-a-piece-of/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2015/12/20/episode-95-kylo-ren-is-a-piece-of/#respondMon, 21 Dec 2015 03:00:02 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=11183We all know that, if you are of the comic book and genre entertainment persuasion, the only Goddamned thing you and we are talking about is the premiere of Star Wars: The Force Awakens. It has been three years and two months since The Mouse bought a galaxy far, far away, and with that kind of time to anticipate a movie, what did you think we were going to talk about?

We are joined this week with guests:

Boston comedian Ross Garmil,

New York comedian and Nightly Show With Larry Wilmore staffer Benari Poulten, and:

longtime friends of the show Trebuchet and Pixiestyx!

And we spend a couple of hours talking about The Force Awakens. Specifically, who we think Rey is the daughter of, who we think is behind The First Order, how the non-speaking players are better than they’ve ever been, how Kylo Ren is a real jerk (a kneebiter, if you will), and a bunch of other Star Wars stuff!

Be warned: This show is full of spoilers. If you haven’t seen Star Wars: The Force Awakens, give this show a pass. Seriously. Assume the first two words we utter are the names of who gets killed.

And, for even more disclaimers:

We recorded this show live to tape, with minimal editing (although there’s a little extra post-processing in effect this week, thanks to our furnace unexpectedly turning on). While this might mean a looser comics podcast than you are used to, it also means that anything can happen. Like the speculation about where a tube sock might figure into the Rey’s origin.

This show contains adult, profane language, and is therefore not safe for work. You want your boss to hear speculation about Rey’s origin that not only would ruin the new movie, but his or her ability to enjoy an adult relationship for quite some time? Get some headphones.

Enjoy the show, suckers!

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2015/12/20/episode-95-kylo-ren-is-a-piece-of/feed/0We all know that, if you are of the comic book and genre entertainment persuasion, the only Goddamned thing you and we are talking about is the premiere of Star Wars: The Force Awakens. It has been three years and two months since The Mouse bought a ga...We all know that, if you are of the comic book and genre entertainment persuasion, the only Goddamned thing you and we are talking about is the premiere of Star Wars: The Force Awakens. It has been three years and two months since The Mouse bought a galaxy far, far away, and with that kind of time to anticipate a movie, what did you think we were going to talk about?<br />
<br />
We are joined this week with guests:<br />
<br />
Boston comedian Ross Garmil,<br />
New York comedian and Nightly Show With Larry Wilmore staffer Benari Poulten, and:<br />
longtime friends of the show Trebuchet and Pixiestyx!<br />
<br />
And we spend a couple of hours talking about The Force Awakens. Specifically, who we think Rey is the daughter of, who we think is behind The First Order, how the non-speaking players are better than they've ever been, how Kylo Ren is a real jerk (a kneebiter, if you will), and a bunch of other Star Wars stuff!<br />
<br />
Be warned: This show is full of spoilers. If you haven't seen Star Wars: The Force Awakens, give this show a pass. Seriously. Assume the first two words we utter are the names of who gets killed.Crisis On Infinite Midlivesyes11183Episode 94: Through A Haggis Darklyhttp://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2015/12/13/episode-94-through-a-haggis-darkly/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2015/12/13/episode-94-through-a-haggis-darkly/#respondMon, 14 Dec 2015 03:43:46 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=11177After weeks of renovations here at the All-New, All-Different Crisis On Infinite Midlives Home Office, we had a relatively quiet few days for a change. So we took the opportunity to catch up on Doctor Who season 9, the second with Peter Capaldi as The Doctor and the last with Jenna Coleman as Clara, although unlike when other Companions have made their curtain calls, I suspect we’ll be seeing Clara again. Soon.

So we spend a good chunk of the episode talking about the season, including its two-episode story structure, the circumstances of Clara leaving The Doctor, why putting a gun in The Doctor’s hand is lazy writing, why Maisie Williams would make an excellent Doctor, and how showrunner Steven Moffat apparently thinks there’s a Jackrabbit Slims on every street corner in America. Most importantly, we lay out why penultimate episode Heaven Sent is a an unholy plot-holed mess in The Girl Who Waited clothing.

We also discuss:

Scarlet Witch #1, written by James Robinson with art by Vanesa Del Ray, and:

Constantine The Hellblazer #7, written by James Tynion IV and Ming Doyle, with art by Brian Level and Riley Rossmo!

And now, the usual disclaimers:

We record this show live to tape, with minimal editing. While this might mean a looser comics podcast than you are used to, it also means that anything can happen. Like discussing whether Maisie Williams’s character had an unfortunate encounter with stripper glitter, a Bedazzler or a nose piercing.

This show contains spoilers. While we try to shout out warnings ahead of time, be aware that there are reasons we discuss who would be the best actress to portray a female Doctor.

This show contains adult, profane language, and is therefore not safe for work. You want your employer to hear what is aggressively pouring out of John Constantine’s drain? You do not. Get some headphones.

Thanks for listening, suckers!

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2015/12/13/episode-94-through-a-haggis-darkly/feed/0After weeks of renovations here at the All-New, All-Different Crisis On Infinite Midlives Home Office, we had a relatively quiet few days for a change. So we took the opportunity to catch up on Doctor Who season 9,This week, we took the opportunity to catch up on Doctor Who season 9, the second with Peter Capaldi as The Doctor and the last with Jenna Coleman as Clara, although unlike when other Companions have made their curtain calls, I suspect we'll be seeing Clara again. Soon.<br />
<br />
So we spend a good chunk of the episode talking about the season, including its two-episode story structure, the circumstances of Clara leaving The Doctor, why putting a gun in The Doctor's hand is lazy writing, why Maisie Williams would make an excellent Doctor, and how showrunner Steven Moffat apparently thinks there's a Jackrabbit Slims on every street corner in America. Most importantly, we lay out why penultimate episode Heaven Sent is a an unholy plot-holed mess in The Girl Who Waited clothing.<br />
<br />
We also discuss Scarlet Witch #1, written by James Robinson with art by Vanesa Del Ray, and Constantine The Hellblazer #7, written by James Tynion IV and Ming Doyle, with art by Brian Level and Riley Rossmo!Crisis On Infinite Midlivesyes90:5111177Episode 93: Cinematic Elephantiasishttp://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2015/12/08/episode-93-cinematic-elephantiasis/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2015/12/08/episode-93-cinematic-elephantiasis/#respondWed, 09 Dec 2015 02:57:53 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=11173Yes, we are late this week, and for that we apologize. Here at the All-New, All-Different Crisis On Infinite Midlives Home Office, renovations continue… and continue… and continue, meaning that our recording studio was covered in painters’ tarp and plastic up until this morning.

But we are back in business, and wanted to make sure that we talked about the new trailer and teaser for Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice that dropped last week. After all, we are among the few defenders of director Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel, so we wanted to talk about how the new footage affected our enthusiasm for the movie, which drops in March.

As it turns out, the answer to that is: “badly.”

We also discuss:

Daredevil #1, written by Charles Soule with art by Ron Garney,

The Totally Awesome Hulk #1, written by Grek Pak with art by Frank Cho, and,

Robin War #1, written by Tom King with various artists!

And, as always, the disclaimers:

We record this show live to tape with minimal editing. While this might mean a looser comics podcast than you are used to, it also means that anything can happen. Like the domestication of the wily Pseudo-Winklevoss.

This show contains spoilers. While we try to shout out warnings ahead of time, just assume we will ruin everything you love and care about.

This show contains adult, profane language, and is therefore not safe for work. While I think we present a compelling case as to why Armie Hammer would be an ideal choice to front a Frank Miller-ish reboot of Home Alone, do you think your employer cares? Of course not. Get some ear buds.

Thanks for listening, suckers!

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2015/12/08/episode-93-cinematic-elephantiasis/feed/0Yes, we are late this week, and for that we apologize. Here at the All-New, All-Different Crisis On Infinite Midlives Home Office, renovations continue… and continue… and continue, meaning that our recording studio was covered in painters’ tarp and pla...We wanted to make sure that we talked about the new trailer and teaser for Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice that dropped last week. After all, we are among the few defenders of director Zack Snyder's Man of Steel, so we wanted to talk about how the new footage affected our enthusiasm for the movie, which drops in March.<br />
<br />
As it turns out, the answer to that is: "badly."<br />
<br />
We also discuss Daredevil #1, written by Charles Soule with art by Ron Garney, The Totally Awesome Hulk #1, written by Grek Pak with art by Frank Cho, and Robin War #1, written by Tom King with various artists!Crisis On Infinite Midlivesyes86:5711173Episode 92: …And Then There Were Skrullshttp://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2015/11/29/episode-92-and-then-there-were-skrulls/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2015/11/29/episode-92-and-then-there-were-skrulls/#respondMon, 30 Nov 2015 04:02:28 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=11168While we are still in the throes of The Neverending Move, and therefore somewhat distractible (Hi, Fallout 4! Let me spend hours up in you, trying to find our new Home Office!), it would take more than a month living out of boxes to keep us from noticing the first trailer for Captain America: Civil War, or as we like to call it, Avengers 2.5.

We spent a good chunk of time watching, and rewatching, and rewatching the trailer, and spend some time discussing how it not only already looks better than the comic from which it came, by dint of the fact that Tony Stark isn’t suddenly acting like an amoral fascist just to advance a plot (Hi, Mark Millar!), but how it seems like a weird time to mess up the MCU superhero status quo given that their next Earth-level superhero flick is more than a year after Civil War. We also speculate which side everyone will land on, and discuss why, if the Russo Brothers don’t use Mike Colter’s Luke Cage the way Brian Michael Bendis used Cage in Civil War, they are Goddamned fools.

We also discuss:

DK III #1, written by Frank Miller and Brian Azzarello, with pencils by Andy Kubert and inks by Klaus Janson,

Jacked #1, written by Eric Kripke with art by John Higgins, and:

Who would win in a drinking contest: Demon In A Bottle Tony Stark, or Alias‘s Jessica Jones (Yes, this was a weird show)!

And now, the disclaimers:

We record this show live to tape, with minimal editing. While this might mean a looser comics podcast than you are used to, it also means that anything can happen. Like learning why Starfox could outdrink Rocket Raccoon (It’s not why you think! It’s filthy!)

This show contains spoilers. While we try to shout out warnings ahead of time, just be aware you will learn the secret origin of Phil Coulson’s Vanity Vehicle.

This show contains adult, profane language, and is therefore not safe for work. Seriously: the whole Starfox / Rocket Raccoon thing is just awful. Get some headphones.

Thanks for listening, suckers!

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2015/11/29/episode-92-and-then-there-were-skrulls/feed/0While we are still in the throes of The Neverending Move, and therefore somewhat distractible (Hi, Fallout 4! Let me spend hours up in you, trying to find our new Home Office!), it would take more than a month living out of boxes to keep us from notici...While we are still in the throes of The Neverending Move, and therefore somewhat distractible (Hi, Fallout 4! Let me spend hours up in you, trying to find our new Home Office!), it would take more than a month living out of boxes to keep us from noticing the first trailer for Captain America: Civil War, or as we like to call it, Avengers 2.5. <br />
<br />
We spent a good chunk of time watching, and rewatching, and rewatching the trailer, and spend some time discussing how it not only already looks better than the comic from which it came, by dint of the fact that Tony Stark isn't suddenly acting like an amoral fascist just to advance a plot (Hi, Mark Millar!), but how it seems like a weird time to mess up the MCU superhero status quo given that their next Earth-level superhero flick is more than a year after Civil War. We also speculate which side everyone will land on, and discuss why, if the Russo Brothers don't use Mike Colter's Luke Cage the way Brian Michael Bendis used Cage in Civil War, they are Goddamned fools.<br />
<br />
We also discuss DK III #1, written by Frank Miller and Brian Azzarello, with pencils by Andy Kubert and inks by Klaus Janson, Jacked #1, written by Eric Kripke with art by John Higgins, and who would win in a drinking contest: Demon In A Bottle Tony Stark, or Alias's Jessica Jones (Yes, this was a weird show)!Crisis On Infinite Midlivesyes94:1211168Episode 91: At The End Of The Day, I’m Just Not A Ninjahttp://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2015/11/22/episode-91-at-the-end-of-the-day-im-just-not-a-ninja/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2015/11/22/episode-91-at-the-end-of-the-day-im-just-not-a-ninja/#respondMon, 23 Nov 2015 03:13:24 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=11164Yes, we are back. And yes, it has been a long time. Thanks to the horrors of moving, which include misplaced boxes, emergency repairs, rescheduled workmen, and the Fickle Fingering of XFinity, we are only just now able to return to the Internet Airwaves. Thankfully, it was just in time to binge-watch Netflix’s and Marvel Studios’ Jessica Jones, which dropped its entire first season this past Friday.

So we discuss the series, including how, like with Daredevil, it seems about three episodes too long. We talk about how the series compares to Alias, the Brian Michael Bendis-written comic book the series was based on. And we go over how the story works not only as a classic film noir where the femme fatale is actually the hero, and how it can be seen as a tacit examination and deconstruction of Doctor Who.

We also discuss:

Secret Six #8, written by Gail SImone with art by Dale Eaglesham and Tom Derenick, and:

Star Wars: Vader Down #1, written by Jason Aaron with art by Mike Deodato, Jr.!

And now, the disclaimers:

We record this show live to tape, with minimal editing. While this might mean a looser comics podcast than you are used to, it also means that anything can happen. Like discovering why “Comcast” is an unholy word.

This show contains spoilers. While we try to shout out warnings ahead of time, just go into this assuming that we will ruin not only Jessica Jones for you, but also 666 Park Avenue and diaper fetishism.

This show contains adult, profane language, and is therefore not safe for work. You want your boss to hear a sentence that contains the phrases, “railed,” “in the,” and “heat pump?” Get yourself some headphones.

Thanks for listening, suckers!

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2015/11/22/episode-91-at-the-end-of-the-day-im-just-not-a-ninja/feed/0Yes, we are back. And yes, it has been a long time. Thanks to the horrors of moving, which include misplaced boxes, emergency repairs, rescheduled workmen, and the Fickle Fingering of XFinity, we are only just now able to return to the Internet Airwave...Yes, we are back. And yes, it has been a long time. Thanks to the horrors of moving, which include misplaced boxes, emergency repairs, rescheduled workmen, and the Fickle Fingering of XFinity, we are only just now able to return to the Internet Airwaves. Thankfully, it was just in time to binge-watch Netflix's and Marvel Studios' Jessica Jones, which dropped its entire first season this past Friday.<br />
<br />
So we discuss the series, including how, like with Daredevil, it seems about three episodes too long. We talk about how the series compares to Alias, the Brian Michael Bendis-written comic book the series was based on. And we go over how the story works not only as a classic film noir where the femme fatale is actually the hero, and how it can be seen as a tacit examination and deconstruction of Doctor Who.<br />
<br />
We also discuss Secret Six #8, written by Gail SImone with art by Dale Eaglesham and Tom Derenick, and Star Wars: Vader Down #1, written by Jason Aaron with art by Mike Deodato, Jr.!Crisis On Infinite Midlivesyes78:2011164Forced Obsolescencehttp://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2015/11/08/forced-obsolescence/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2015/11/08/forced-obsolescence/#respondMon, 09 Nov 2015 02:34:14 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=11161Here’s the deal: we were supposed to have Internet access here in the new Home Office yesterday. However, a short-sighted, irritating little company that we’ll call Comcast (because that’s it’s name) said they wouldn’t hook up Internet unless they could confirm that the TV also worked… And considering every TV in this house needs to be wall-mounted, that was a tricky order.

So we will be exposed to the joys of FiOS on Thursday. This means yes, no new show this week, and for that, we apologize.

But rest assured: we have it on good authority that all required equipment will be in place for Thursday, when a nice man with 100 megabit internet will arrive at our door.

If you’ve been listening to the show for any length of time, you know that we’ve been preparing to move to a new Home Office for a while now.

We prepared for the move by watching a bunch of HGTV, which has a variety of programming showing people picking out a house, sending in handsome contractors who never seem to sweat through their $200 work shirts, and have the homeowners in the new place within 22 minutes.

Those shows are bullshit.

See that picture at the top of the page? That’s three days of unpacking. And we’re not even close to done.

We not only have no Internet access yet, but we can’t get an electrician out to wire our recording studio for Internet, let alone the actual Internet people, until the end of this week. Jesus, we don’t even have cable, which means instead of watching the new Walking Dead or Ash Vs The Evil Dead, we’re watching old X-Files DVDs and pretending it’s research for the upcoming miniseries.

We currently plan to have a new episode next Sunday… But it depends on a lot of electrical things happening between now and then. To be honest, it might be two weeks until we have a new episode.

Thanks for your patience. We will return to our regularly scheduled programming as soon as possible.

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2015/11/01/longboxes-and-short-boxes-oh-god-the-boxes/feed/011159…We Riothttp://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2015/10/25/we-riot/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2015/10/25/we-riot/#respondMon, 26 Oct 2015 02:15:19 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=11156Due to move preparation, we can’t do the show tonight. We should have one up tomorrow… and if you’ve seen tonight’s The Walking Dead, I think you’ll know part of what we’re going to be talking about. Jeezus…
]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2015/10/25/we-riot/feed/011156Episode 90: Laverne And Zombiehttp://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2015/10/18/episode-90-laverne-and-zombie/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2015/10/18/episode-90-laverne-and-zombie/#respondMon, 19 Oct 2015 02:02:55 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=11154As we have been for the past several weeks, we remain immersed in the process of moving to a new Home Office. This means that we have spent our week collating documents mundane and obscure, and hunting for documents demanded by Unseen Powers that are so obscure that they apparently Cannot Be Named.

So we welcomed the distraction provided by a universe where, if a man wants a new house, he need but clear it of shambling ghouls and defend it from traitors and raiders. That universe being that of The Walking Dead, which debuted its sixth season last Sunday. So we discuss this magic world that is so blessedly empty of lawyers, mortgage underwriters and real estate brokers. A world that provides not only some of the most stunning visuals this series has ever presented, but which also raises questions about the very nature of morality and the rule of law, in a world where a society’s members, circumstances and requirements can change by the second.

We also discuss:

Chewbacca #1, written by Gerry Duggan with art by Phil Noto, and:

Uncanny Avengers #1, also written by Gerry Duggan with art by Ryan Stegman!

And, the inevitable disclaimers:

We record this show live to tape, with minimal editing. While this might mean a looser comics podcast than you are used to, it also means that anything can happen. Like the avocation of financial, and perhaps physical, sanctions for late comics.

This show contains spoilers. While we try to shout warnings ahead of time, be aware that we may ruin the surprise as to who this season of The Walking Dead’s Carl is (fun fact: it might not be Carl!).

This show contains adult, profane language, and is therefore not safe for work. We talk a lot about “horrible biological sounds” this week. Think your boss would use that in a positive way in your annual review? Yeah, get some headphones.

Thanks for listening, suckers!

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2015/10/18/episode-90-laverne-and-zombie/feed/0As we have been for the past several weeks, we remain immersed in the process of moving to a new Home Office. This means that we have spent our week collating documents mundane and obscure, and hunting for documents demanded by Unseen Powers that are s...This week we welcomed the distraction provided by a universe where, if a man wants a new house, he need but clear it of shambling ghouls and defend it from traitors and raiders. That universe being that of The Walking Dead, which debuted its sixth season last Sunday. So we discuss this magic world that is so blessedly empty of lawyers, mortgage underwriters and real estate brokers. A world that provides not only some of the most stunning visuals this series has ever presented, but which also raises questions about the very nature of morality and the rule of law, in a world where a society's members, circumstances and requirements can change by the second.<br />
<br />
We also discuss Chewbacca #1, written by Gerry Duggan with art by Phil Noto, and Uncanny Avengers #1, also written by Gerry Duggan with art by Ryan Stegman!Crisis On Infinite Midlivesyes11154Episode 89: Do You Want G’nort? Because That’s How You Get G’northttp://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2015/10/11/episode-89-do-you-want-gnort-because-thats-how-you-get-gnort/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2015/10/11/episode-89-do-you-want-gnort-because-thats-how-you-get-gnort/#respondMon, 12 Oct 2015 02:00:05 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=11151Well, New York Comic Con was this week… and we were not at it. And what with the impending Home Office move, we were too busy to follow nearly as much of it as we would have liked. But still, we open the episode gamely trying like hell to round up some of the news and announcements from the convention… before realizing that there is one activity that no amount of bad scheduling or work commitments or lack of funds can keep us from experiencing: television.

This week gave us the debuts of the new seasons of The Flash and Arrow on The CW (or, as Rob continues to insist upon calling it, The DCW). And these debuts brought some interesting new angles to old familiar characters, like Arrow trying to find love, and The Flash trying to nuke a guy to death. So we discuss the episodes, some of the changes that seem to be in store for the characters in the coming season, who we think will die, who we think will receive either a power ring or villain helmet… and most importantly, how Arrow and The Flash seem willing to take standard superhero story tropes and turn them delightfully on their heads.

We also discuss:

Dr. Strange #1, written by Jason Aaron with art by Chris Bachalo, and:

The Amazing Spider-Man #1, main story written by Dan Slott with art by Giuseppe Camuncoli!

And, as usual, the disclaimers:

We record this show live to tape, with minimal editing. While this might mean a looser comics podcast than you are used to, it also means that anything can happen. Like a discussion about how the best Inhumans movie would feature Lockjaw, a green screen, and piddling on a baby.

This show contains spoilers. While we try to shout out warnings ahead of time, be warned that you will learn whether or not we were serious about The Flash nuking a dude to death.

This show contains adult, profane language, and is therefore not safe for work. Do you want your employer hearing about the surgical alternative to Method Acting? You do not. Listen with headphones.

Thanks for listening, suckers!

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2015/10/11/episode-89-do-you-want-gnort-because-thats-how-you-get-gnort/feed/0Well, New York Comic Con was this week… and we were not at it. And what with the impending Home Office move, we were too busy to follow nearly as much of it as we would have liked. But still, we open the episode gamely trying like hell to round up some...Well, New York Comic Con was this week... and we were not at it. And what with the impending Home Office move, we were too busy to follow nearly as much of it as we would have liked. But still, we open the episode gamely trying like hell to round up some of the news and announcement from the convention... before realizing that there is one activity that no amount of bad scheduling or work commitments or lack of funds can keep us from experiencing: television.<br />
<br />
So this week gave us the debuts of the new seasons of The Flash and Arrow on The CW (or, as Rob continues to insist upon calling it, The DCW). And these debuts brought some interesting new angles to old familiar characters, like Arrow trying to find love, and The Flash trying to nuke a guy to death. So we discuss the episodes, some of the changes that seem to be in store for the characters in the coming season, who we think will die, who we think will receive either a power ring or villain helmet... and most importantly, how Arrow and The Flash seem willing to take standard superhero story tropes and turn them delightfully on their heads.<br />
<br />
We also discuss Dr. Strange #1, written by Jason Aaron with art by Chris Bachalo, and The Amazing Spider-Man #1, main story written by Dan Slott with art by Giuseppe Camuncoli!Crisis On Infinite Midlivesyes11151Episode 88: The Brown Note of Justicehttp://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2015/10/04/episode-88-the-brown-note-of-justice/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2015/10/04/episode-88-the-brown-note-of-justice/#commentsMon, 05 Oct 2015 02:34:27 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=11147Yes, we are back, after yet another long week of trials and tribulations in the hunt for a new Crisis On Infinite Midlives Home Office forced us to miss another episode, for which we humbly apologize. We believe our Long National Nightmare has ended, and that we will have no further service interruptions… at least until November 1, when we will be in the new Home Office, but likely with no Internet service. But that is a problem for the future.

As for today’s problems, well, how do you solve a problem like Heroes Reborn? The sequel to the 2006 – 2010 series that captivated the world before reminding it why many kids abandoned comics once they reached the age of reason (“How about evil carnies? Just write it! I’m taking a long lunch! Did I say ‘long?’ I meant ‘liquid!'”) debuted on NBC last week. We are huge fans of Heroes, going back to when we saw the pilot at SDCC 2006, and had high hopes for this return to the world of Peter Petrelli, Hiro Nakamura and visions of the future via Tim Sale. So we spend some time talking about what works, what doesn’t, and whether you should tune into this show if you aren’t already fans of the Enemies of Sylar (short answer: probably not)!

We also discuss:

Batman Annual #4, written by James Tynion IV with art by Roge Antonio, and:

Gotham By Midnight #9, written by Ray Fawkes with art by Juan Ferreyra!

And, the usual disclaimers:

We record this show live to tape, with minimal editing. While this might mean a looser comics podcast than you are used to, it also means that anything can happen. Like a conversation about how Heroes‘s Noah Bennet is a (terrible) role model to America’s youth via his never giving a woman his real name.

This show contains spoilers. While we try to shout out warnings ahead of time, just assume that we reveal Hiro Nakamura’s message from the future.

This show contains adult, profane language, and is therefore not safe for work. Unless you want your co-workers to hear the tale of Drunken Mexican Batman, consider using headphones.

Thanks for listening, suckers!

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2015/10/04/episode-88-the-brown-note-of-justice/feed/2Yes, we are back, after yet another long week of trials and tribulations in the hunt for a new Crisis On Infinite Midlives Home Office forced us to miss another episode, for which we humbly apologize. We believe our Long National Nightmare has ended,How do you solve a problem like Heroes Reborn? The sequel to the 2006 - 2010 series that captivated the world before reminding it why many kids abandoned comics once they reached the age of reason ("How about evil carnies? Just write it! I'm taking a long lunch! Did I say 'long?' I meant 'liquid!'") debuted on NBC last week. We are huge fans of Heroes, going back to when we saw the pilot at SDCC 2006, and had high hopes for this return to the world of Peter Petrelli, Hiro Nakamura and visions of the future via Tim Sale. So we spend some time talking about what works, what doesn't, and whether you should tune into this show if you aren't already fans of the Enemies of Sylar (short answer: probably not)!<br />
<br />
We also discuss Batman Annual #4, written by James Tynion IV with art by Roge Antonio, and Gotham By Midnight #9, written by Ray Fawkes with art by Juan Ferreyra!Crisis On Infinite Midlivesyes11147Lex, What Is This Obsession With Real Estate?http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2015/09/29/lex-what-is-this-obsession-with-real-estate/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2015/09/29/lex-what-is-this-obsession-with-real-estate/#respondTue, 29 Sep 2015 22:23:31 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=11143Okay, so remember how we said on Sunday that we had finished negotiating for the new Home Office? Yeah, turns out you are never done negotiating until everyone’s signature is on the contract. Real estate is a dirty, dirty business. Probably why it attracts supervillains. Anyway.

We have been flat-out all week, and at this point, we have to beg off a new episode until this weekend. We sincerely apologize, and swear that we will try to do better as this process winds itself out.

We will return to our regularly-scheduled programming Sunday night.

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2015/09/29/lex-what-is-this-obsession-with-real-estate/feed/011143Mutually Assured Destructionhttp://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2015/09/27/mutually-assured-destruction/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2015/09/27/mutually-assured-destruction/#respondSun, 27 Sep 2015 23:49:30 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=11140So during last week’s show, we announced that we had secured a deal for a new Home Office. However, during this week, the sellers of that location seemed to have a different idea. An idea that required us to spend today frantically running around looking for an alternate Home Office location… before they changed their minds and told us that they were, once again, willing to possibly accept our ridiculous amount of money in exchange for their abandoned home.

The bottom line is: we’ve spent today in intense negotiations, which have made recording a new show all but impossible.

But fear not: all deals appear to be done, and our new episode about the first two episodes of Heroes Reborn will be recorded and released by tomorrow night.

Thank you for your patience, and we will (once again) be back to our regularly scheduled programming by tomorrow,

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2015/09/27/mutually-assured-destruction/feed/011140Episode 87: No, I’m Steve Davros. From Poughkeepsie?http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2015/09/20/episode-87-no-im-steve-davros-from-poughkeepsie/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2015/09/20/episode-87-no-im-steve-davros-from-poughkeepsie/#respondMon, 21 Sep 2015 01:58:16 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=11134After weeks of holidays, househunting, open houses, forced cleaning, and terminal exhaustion, we are finally back on schedule, and back in our Home Office studio! And just in time for The Magician’s Apprentice, the Season Nine debut of Doctor Who.

If you’ve listened to the show for any length of time, you know that Amanda is a 30-plus year devotee of The Doctor, while Rob has only been watching since the reboot with Christopher Eccleston, and yet they both believe that this premiere is too reliant on classic Who villains, adversaries, themes, character beats, and that the Doctor’s grand entrance is a lift of the Doof Warrior from Mad Max: Fury Road. And yet there are still some fun moments, and reasons to be hopeful for the season overall.

The Paybacks #1, written by Donny Cates and Eliot Rahal, with art by Geoff Shaw and Lauren Affe!

And now, the usual disclaimers:

We record this show live to tape, with minimal editing. While this might mean a looser comics podcast than you are used to, it also means that anything can happen. Like the only pitch Rob will ever make for a comic book: ISIU: Insurance Super Investigations Unit.

This show contains spoilers. While we try to shout out warnings ahead of time, be aware that you will learn things about the season premiere of Doctor Who that no one should know… yeah, okay; it’s a “two organs” joke. We’re sorry.

This show contains adult, profane language, and is therefore not safe for work. You think your employer wants to hear about how The Doctor’s Companions rank against Japanese Hentai? Yeah, get some headphones.

Thanks for listening, suckers!

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2015/09/20/episode-87-no-im-steve-davros-from-poughkeepsie/feed/0After weeks of holidays, househunting, open houses, forced cleaning, and terminal exhaustion, we are finally back on schedule, and back in our Home Office studio! And just in time for The Magician’s Apprentice, the Season Nine debut of Doctor Who.After weeks of holidays, househunting, open houses, forced cleaning, and terminal exhaustion, we are finally back on schedule, and back in our Home Office studio! And just in time for The Magician's Apprentice, the Season Nine debut of Doctor Who.<br />
<br />
If you've listened to the show for any length of time, you know that Amanda is a 30-plus year devotee of The Doctor, while Rob has only been watching since the reboot with Christopher Eccleston, and yet they both believe that this premiere is too reliant on classic Who villains, adversaries, themes, character beats, and that the Doctor's grand entrance is a lift of the Doof Warrior from Mad Max: Fury Road. And yet there are still some fun moments, and reasons to be hopeful for the season overall.<br />
<br />
We also discuss Captain America: White #1, written by Jeph Loeb with art by Tim Sale, and The Paybacks #1, written by Donny Cates and Eliot Rahal, with art by Geoff Shaw and Lauren Affe!Crisis On Infinite Midlivesyes85:4511134Episode 86: Fatigue Hysteria II: The Enhouseninghttp://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2015/09/15/episode-86-fatigue-hysteria-ii-the-enhousening/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2015/09/15/episode-86-fatigue-hysteria-ii-the-enhousening/#respondWed, 16 Sep 2015 02:06:24 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=11131We are aware that this week’s episode is late… and short… and poorly planned. And for that, we apologize. What started as an idle effort to possibly locate a new Crisis On Infinite Midlives Home Office became, somewhere along the way, an all-encompassing time suck of physical labor, self-doubt, emotional blackmail, and begging for money.

And while the worst of the distractions are over (for now), we only have a short show this week, with an update on some of the details behind the delay, and a short discussion about Batman #44, written by Scott Snyder and Bryan Azzarello with art by Jock.

We should be back to our regularly-scheduled programming this Sunday. Thanks for hanging in with us during the interruption!

Thanks for listening, suckers!

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2015/09/15/episode-86-fatigue-hysteria-ii-the-enhousening/feed/0We are aware that this week’s episode is late… and short… and poorly planned. And for that, we apologize. What started as an idle effort to possibly locate a new Crisis On Infinite Midlives Home Office became, somewhere along the way,We are aware that this week’s episode is late… and short… and poorly planned. And for that, we apologize. What started as an idle effort to possibly locate a new Crisis On Infinite Midlives Home Office became, somewhere along the way, an all-encompassing time suck of physical labor, self-doubt, emotional blackmail, and begging for money. […]Crisis On Infinite Midlivesyes27:3511131Oh Death, And Grief, And Sorrow, And Murderhttp://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2015/09/13/oh-death-and-grief-and-sorrow-and-murder/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2015/09/13/oh-death-and-grief-and-sorrow-and-murder/#respondMon, 14 Sep 2015 00:20:39 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=11127It has all. Gone. Wrong.

First of all, we originally intended to have this week’s episode be a recap of Mr. Robot with friends of the show Benari Poulten and Ross Garmil. The problem with that plan was, we tape on Sunday, Rosh Hashanah starts on Sunday, and Ross and Benari are friends of someone much more powerful and we are. Like, biblically powerful. So this week’s original show plan went out the window.

Secondly, we received notice from our Web hosting company that they thought that Crisis On Infinite Midlives was infected by malware. This is a statement that is probably not true; several third party scanners certified the Web site as clean, and most of the “infected” files our Web host was scared of were parts of old Web site themes that we left on the server for testing purposes. But the reality is that, when the landlord says you need to clean and change the locks, you need to clean and change the locks. So that took a morning that we didn’t have.

Finally, we are in the throes of trying to secure a new Home Office. This meant that we spent our entire weekend cleaning up our current Home Office in the service of trying to find some dupe to buy it from us. This takes more time than you would really think, particularly when six of our weekend hours were filled by open houses, meaning that we couldn’t be in our own home.

All of which is a long way to go to say that there will be no new episode tonight. However: there will be a new episode up before 10:30 p.m. tomorrow night. It will not be our Mr. Robot recap, but instead a simple comic book-based episode (we’re hoping to have a Mr. Robot episode put together next weekend).

We apologize for the confusion and the delay in a new episode, and we hope you’ll tune in tomorrow night. We should be back to our regularly scheduled programming soon… provided we can convince some dope to buy the Home Office out from under us.

Hey rube! Wanna buy a podcast studio with an attached beer fridge and bedroom? Don’t walk away from me, you son of a…

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2015/09/13/oh-death-and-grief-and-sorrow-and-murder/feed/011127(No) (or Too Much) Labor Dayhttp://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2015/09/06/no-or-too-much-labor-day/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2015/09/06/no-or-too-much-labor-day/#respondMon, 07 Sep 2015 02:00:57 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=11123This is the long Labor Day weekend here in the United States. In general, this means that we celebrate the work of the Labor Movement in securing regular work hours and workplace safety by forcing the local police (who are probably among the last workers protected by labor unions) to work long hours risking their lives trying to round up the rest of us, who are on three-day benders and seriously endangering ourselves and others.

Normally we would be among the revelers. We, however, are busily working in pursuit of securing a new Home Office location, and are up to our elbows in cardboard boxes and paint.

Therefore, as we announced at the start of last week’s show, there will be no new podcast episode this week. However, be sure to come back next week, when friends of the show, comedians Benari Poulten and Ross Garmil, join us to tear up the first season of Mr. Robot!

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2015/09/06/no-or-too-much-labor-day/feed/011123Episode 85: Fear The Walking Tropeshttp://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2015/08/30/episode-85-fear-the-walking-tropes/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2015/08/30/episode-85-fear-the-walking-tropes/#respondMon, 31 Aug 2015 02:02:18 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=11118After a long week of hunting for possible new locations for the Crisis On Infinite Midlives Home Office, we were finally able to sit down and watch the premiere episode of the new AMC spinoff to The Walking Dead, Fear The Walking Dead.

We had reservations about the show going in, such as fears that this might be where we discover what caused The Walking Dead‘s walkers to start walking, or that a show about the beginning of a zombie apocalypse would be nothing but a new take on a story we’ve seen in Night of The Living Dead, Dawn of The Dead, and about two dozen different video games, or that a show about the beginning of the end would inevitably become a story about what happens after the end… and we already have that show.

Thankfully, none of those failure were evident. Unfortunately, many others, including inconsistent direction and writing, and a reliance on horror movie tropes of the kind you see on Netflix at 3 a.m. when you’re drunk and bored. And we talk about all of them… as well as the stuff that we liked, and gave us hope that there’s more to this show than the flaws in its pilot.

We also discuss:

Lando #3, written by Charles Soule with art by Alex Maleev, and:

Hank Johnson: Agent of Hydra, written by David Mandel with art by Michael Walsh!

And, as always, the disclaimers:

We record this show live to tape, with minimal editing. While this might mean a looser comics podcast than you are used to, it also means that anything can happen. Like learning the secret ingredient in Amanda’s hummus, and why it would offend Cthulhu.

This show contains spoilers. While we try to shout out warnings ahead of time, consider this your alert that Lando Calrissian was not eaten to death by a space vagina.

This show contains adult, profane language, and is therefore not safe for work. Once your mom hears the Sarlacc described as a space vagina, she will never be able to unsee it. So get some headphones.

Editors’ Note: We are currently not planning to release a new episode on Sunday, September 6th (although if our schedule changes for the better, we may). Regardless, we will be back to our regularly scheduled programming on Sunday, September 13th.

Thanks for listening, suckers!

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2015/08/30/episode-85-fear-the-walking-tropes/feed/0After a long week of hunting for possible new locations for the Crisis On Infinite Midlives Home Office, we were finally able to sit down and watch the premiere episode of the new AMC spinoff to The Walking Dead, Fear The Walking Dead.After a long week of hunting for possible new locations for the Crisis On Infinite Midlives Home Office, we were finally able to sit down and watch the premiere episode of the new AMC spinoff to The Walking Dead, Fear The Walking Dead.<br />
<br />
We had reservations about the show going in, such as fears that this might be where we discover what caused The Walking Dead's walkers to start walking, or that a show about the beginning of a zombie apocalypse would be nothing but a new take on a story we've seen in Night of The Living Dead, Dawn of The Dead, and about two dozen different video games, or that a show about the beginning of the end would inevitably become a story about what happens after the end... and we already have that show.<br />
<br />
Thankfully, none of those failure were evident. Unfortunately, many others, including inconsistent direction and writing, and a reliance on horror movie tropes of the kind you see on Netflix at 3 a.m. when you're drunk and bored. And we talk about all of them... as well as the stuff that we liked, and gave us hope that there's more to this show than the flaws in its pilot.<br />
<br />
We also discuss: Lando #3, written by Charles Soule with art by Alex Maleev, and: Hank Johnson: Agent of Hydra, written by David Mandel with art by Michael Walsh!Crisis On Infinite Midlivesyes11118Episode 84: Doom Is My Power Beardhttp://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2015/08/23/episode-84-doom-is-my-power-beard/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2015/08/23/episode-84-doom-is-my-power-beard/#respondMon, 24 Aug 2015 02:23:53 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=11113It has been a hectic week at the Crisis On Infinite Midlives Home Office, and combining that with a dearth of substantial comics news we’d be interested in discussing, it means that we’re going old school this week.

That’s right: on this week’s episode of our comics podcast, we’re going to discuss a bunch of this week’s comics!

Here’s what we’ve got in the pipeline:

Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Season 10 #18, written by Christos Gage with art by Rebekah Issacs,

Secret Six #5, written by Gail Simone with art by Dale Eaglesham and Tom Derenick,

The Amazing Spider-Man: Renew Your Vows #4, written by Dan Slott with art by Adam Kubert and Scott Hanna,

1872, written by Gerry Duggan with art by Nik Virella, and:

Loki: Agent of Asgard #17, written by Al Ewing with art by Lee Garbett!

And, the usual disclaimers:

We record this show with minimal editing. While this might mean a looser comics podcast than you are used to, it also means that anything can happen. Like learning why a “grunt” is poor open house etiquette.

This show contains spoilers. While we try to shout out warnings ahead of time, just assume that you will learn whether or not Spider-Man actually renews his vows (Not yet. Sorry.).

This show contains adult, profane language, and is therefore not safe for work. Seriously, you don’t want your supervisor hearing that “grunt” thing. Get headphones.

Thanks for listening, suckers!

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2015/08/23/episode-84-doom-is-my-power-beard/feed/0It has been a hectic week at the Crisis On Infinite Midlives Home Office, and combining that with a dearth of substantial comics news we’d be interested in discussing, it means that we’re going old school this week.It has been a hectic week at the Crisis On Infinite Midlives Home Office, and combining that with a dearth of substantial comics news we'd be interested in discussing, it means that we're going old school this week.<br />
<br />
That's right: on this week's episode of our comics podcast, we're going to discuss a bunch of this week's comics!<br />
<br />
Here's what we've got in the pipeline:<br />
<br />
Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Season 10 #18, written by Christos Gage with art by Rebekah Issacs,<br />
Secret Six #5, written by Gail Simone with art by Dale Eaglesham and Tom Derenick,<br />
The Amazing Spider-Man: Renew Your Vows #4, written by Dan Slott with art by Adam Kubert and Scott Hanna, <br />
1872, written by Gerry Duggan with art by Nik Virella, and:<br />
Loki: Agent of Asgard #17, written by Al Ewing with art by Lee Garbett!Crisis On Infinite Midlivesyes95:4711113Episode 83: Mopey Dickhttp://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2015/08/16/episode-83-mopey-dick/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2015/08/16/episode-83-mopey-dick/#respondMon, 17 Aug 2015 02:03:48 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=11106What with the search for a new Home Office thanks to continual incursions by vermin (It’s like Secret Wars, only with ants!), we’re a little scatterbrained and fried this week, but we don’t let that get in the way of putting together a great show for you! Or at least a show of roughly professional-ish quality!

Disney’s D23 Expo was this weekend, and since Marvel Studios was bough by Chairman Mouse, that means that the first real footage from Captain America: Civil War has been shown. Not released, and not leaked in any fashion we’ve been able to locate, but descriptions abound, so we discuss what we’ve heard, what was announced about Doctor Strange, and whether we will be allowed to openly carry liquor and firearms at the Mos Eisley Cantina Disney will be building at Disneyland.

And while we weren’t able to see the Civil War trailer, we have been able to see the pilot to Fox’s upcoming adaptation of Vertigo Comics’s Lucifer. We are big fans of Mike Carey’s Lucifer series (and Neil Gaiman’s Sandman that introduced the character in that form), so we have strong opinions as to how the original comic series, about a fallen angel exploring what it means to have free will through the creation of literal universes, jibes with this new series about a Devil who solves crimes with a former actress cop.

We also discuss:

The Walking Dead #135, written by Robert Kirkman with art by Charlie Adlard, and:

Starfire #3, written by Amanda Conner and Jimmy Palmiotti, with art by Emanuela Lupacchino!

And now the disclaimers:

We record this show live to tape, with minimal editing. While this might mean a looser comics podcast than you are used to, it also means that anything can happen. Like a sudden tangent over which character in The Strain we want to kill with a pipe wrench (it’s totally Zach).

This show contains spoilers. While we try to shout out warnings ahead of time, be forewarned that we will reveal that people talk a lot in The Walking Dead.

This show contains adult, profane language, and is therefore not safe for work. Unless you think your employer is interested in the continuity ramifications of perverse Wookie sex, get yourself some headphones.

Thanks for listening, suckers!

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2015/08/16/episode-83-mopey-dick/feed/0What with the search for a new Home Office thanks to continual incursions by vermin (It’s like Secret Wars, only with ants!), we’re a little scatterbrained and fried this week, but we don’t let that get in the way of putting together a great show for y...What with the search for a new Home Office thanks to continual incursions by vermin (It’s like Secret Wars, only with ants!), we’re a little scatterbrained and fried this week, but we don’t let that get in the way of putting together a great show for you! Or at least a show of roughly professional-ish […]Crisis On Infinite Midlivesyes99:1111106Episode 82: Boston Comic Con 2015 – On Drugs And Putting Puppies In Microwaveshttp://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2015/08/09/episode-82-boston-comic-con-2015-on-drugs-and-putting-puppies-in-microwaves/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2015/08/09/episode-82-boston-comic-con-2015-on-drugs-and-putting-puppies-in-microwaves/#respondMon, 10 Aug 2015 02:00:13 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=11098We conclude our coverage of Boston Comic Con 2015 first by bemoaning the nearly literal biblical weather and plagues that prevented us from releasing it on Thursday as we originally planned.

Once we get that out of our system, we discuss the panels that we were able to attend at this year’s Boston Comic Con: Spider-Verse, Marvel Universe, IDW Comics, and the DC Comics panel. And not only do we talk about them, but we share a load of audio we recorded at those panels, from creators like Brian Azzarello, Scott Snyder, Jimmy Palmiotti, Jason Latour, Ming Doyle, Annie Wu, Sara Richard, Joe Hill, Gabriel Rodriguez, and a bunch of others!

We also talk about the differences between the panel delivery styles of each publisher, why you seem to get more hard information from DC Comics than you do Marvel, and why the IDW panel gave us the best explanations of why publishers pursue licensed comics, and why colorists are more important than most of us think, than we’ve heard in 40 years of reading comics.

And, as always, the disclaimers:

We record this show live to tape, with minimal editing. While this might make this a looser comics podcast than you are used to, it also means that anything can happen. Like learning why Rob’s childhood memories include armpits bleeding goo.

This show contains adult, profane language, and is therefore not safe for work. Convention panelists try to keep things clean. They are better people than we are. Get some headphones.

Thanks for listening, suckers!

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2015/08/09/episode-82-boston-comic-con-2015-on-drugs-and-putting-puppies-in-microwaves/feed/0We conclude our coverage of Boston Comic Con 2015 first by bemoaning the nearly literal biblical weather and plagues that prevented us from releasing it on Thursday as we originally planned. Once we get that out of our system,We conclude our coverage of Boston Comic Con 2015 first by bemoaning the nearly literal biblical weather and plagues that prevented us from releasing it on Thursday as we originally planned. Once we get that out of our system, we discuss the panels that we were able to attend at this year’s Boston Comic Con: […]Crisis On Infinite Midlivesyes11098You’re The Guy Who Does His Job. I Must Be The Other Guyhttp://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2015/08/06/youre-the-guy-who-does-his-job-i-must-be-the-other-guy/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2015/08/06/youre-the-guy-who-does-his-job-i-must-be-the-other-guy/#respondFri, 07 Aug 2015 01:25:23 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=11093We originally intended to have our final Boston Comic Con roundup episode, including audio from the Spider-Verse, Marvel Universe, IDW Comics and DC Comics panels, produced and online by today. It was an ambitious goal, except for the fact that it required us to edit four hours of audio in, after sleep, day jobs and bathroom time required to prevent slow death by blood poisoning, about the six remaining hours.

Bottom line is that we are sill busily cutting cool panel clips from the convention, and therefore are not ready to put up a new show tonight, So our regular Sunday night show will be our big Boston Comic Con roundup, including panel audio from Southern Bastards and Spider-Gwen‘s Jason Latour, Batman‘s Scott Snyder, Dark Knight 3‘s Brian Azzarello, Locke And Key‘s Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez, the upcoming Black Knight‘s Frank Tieri, and a bunch of other awesome creators!

So thanks for your patience, and tune in Sunday night at 10:30 p.m. EST for our big Boston Comic Con show! And while we’re sorry we’re late, look at it this way: it means we can’t do a show about the new (awful) Fantastic Four movie!

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2015/08/06/youre-the-guy-who-does-his-job-i-must-be-the-other-guy/feed/011093Episode 81: Boston Comic Con 2015 – Four Seconds With Stanhttp://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2015/08/02/episode-81-boston-comic-con-2015-four-seconds-with-stan/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2015/08/02/episode-81-boston-comic-con-2015-four-seconds-with-stan/#respondMon, 03 Aug 2015 02:33:46 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=11089The ninth annual Boston Comic Con – and the first one where Saturday sold out by Friday evening – concluded just a few hours ago. And despite being arguably the biggest Boston Comic Con to date, it also was one of the smoothest, with issues surrounding getting into the venue and into panels, that plagued the convention in prior years, all mercifully absent and apparently solved.

But the one problem that no convention of any size has been able to solve is exhaustion – after three days on the floor, we are wiped out. So despite the fact that our door-to-door travel time was twenty minutes, we are weakly sipping drinks, surrounded by loot from the convention and God knows how many hours of raw, uncut panel recordings, racing against fatigue hysteria.

But we wanted to take a few minutes to hook up our mobile recording studio one more time to put together a quick show to discuss the convention, what parts of it worked, which parts need improvement, why smaller regional conventions can be better than the megacons… and one completely new experience. That experience being that, after ten years of attending conventions of all sizes, this was the first time that we stood in a paid autograph line. To meet Stan Lee. And how the experience was pretty much what we expected, and why we will probably never, ever do it again.

Note: We currently plan to have a more detailed convention report, including panel audio, by Thursday, August 6th.

And now the disclaimers:

This show was recorded live to tape. While this might mean a looser comics podcast than you are used to, it also means that anything can happen.

Due to limitations in our content delivery system, this show was recorded at a lower-than-normal bitrate. So you might notice minor differences in sound quality than other episodes.

This show contains adult, profane language, and is therefore not safe for work. You want your employer to hear what kind of filthy animals who might buy Rob’s Stan Lee autograph? Trust us: you do not. Get some headphones.

Thanks for listening, suckers!

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2015/08/02/episode-81-boston-comic-con-2015-four-seconds-with-stan/feed/0The ninth annual Boston Comic Con – and the first one where Saturday sold out by Friday evening – concluded just a few hours ago. And despite being arguably the biggest Boston Comic Con to date, it also was one of the smoothest,The ninth annual Boston Comic Con – and the first one where Saturday sold out by Friday evening – concluded just a few hours ago. And despite being arguably the biggest Boston Comic Con to date, it also was one of the smoothest, with issues surrounding getting into the venue and into panels, that plagued […]Crisis On Infinite Midlivesyes32:3611089Episode 80: Lee Van Cleef In A Gimp Suithttp://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2015/07/26/episode-80-lee-van-cleef-in-a-gimp-suit/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2015/07/26/episode-80-lee-van-cleef-in-a-gimp-suit/#respondMon, 27 Jul 2015 02:07:51 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=11079We’re joined this week by Eisner Award nominated writer Christopher Sebela, who was gracious enough to spend well over an hour talking to us about his upcoming Boom! Studios comic We(l)come Back (with art by Jonathan Brandon Sawyer), as well as his work on High Crimes, Dead Letters, and Escape From New York.

Christopher talked with us about not only about the books themselves, but about some of the personal experiences he brought to the characters in them, some of the storytelling methods he favors in some books (and why he doesn’t use them in others), and how he feels lucky to have worked with the artists he has. He also explained to us why it’s so expensive to get vomiting drunk in Chicago, why we were suckers to get vomiting drunk in Chicago, and why he favors writing about damaged people like the kind who like to get vomiting drunk in Chicago. It was an interesting and wide-ranging conversation, and we’re pleased to bring it to you.

(And by the way: the first issue of We(l)come Back is excellent, and you should really add it to your pulls. Trust us on this. The Diamond order code is JUN151070).

Amanda and Rob also discuss:

Star Lord And Kitty Pryde #1 by written by Sam Humphries with art by and Alti Firmansyah, and:

The Punisher #20, written by Nathan Edmondson with art by Mitch Gerads!

And, the usual disclaimers:

We record this show live to tape, with minimal editing (Although in this case, we recorded and edited the interview before the rest of the show). While this might mean a looser comics podcast than you are used to, it also means that anything can happen. Like a discussion of the phrase “sentient fedora.”

This show contains spoilers. While we try to shout out a warning ahead of time, be aware that a book titled The Punisher: Final Punishment might feature the Punisher’s final punishment.

This show contains adult, profane language, and is therefore not safe for work. If you’ve read Christopher Sebela’s work, you know that he knows some swear words. If you’ve listened to our show, you know that we arguably know a few more. Get some headphones.

Thanks for listening, suckers!

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2015/07/26/episode-80-lee-van-cleef-in-a-gimp-suit/feed/0We’re joined this week by Eisner Award nominated writer Christopher Sebela, who was gracious enough to spend well over an hour talking to us about his upcoming Boom! Studios comic We(l)come Back (with art by Jonathan Brandon Sawyer),We're joined this week by Eisner Award nominated writer Christopher Sebela, who was gracious enough to spend well over an hour talking to us about his upcoming Boom! Studios comic Welcome Back (with art by Jonathan Brandon Sawyer), as well as his work on High Crimes, Dead Letters, and Escape From New York.<br />
<br />
Christopher talked with us about not only about the books themselves, but about some of the personal experiences he brought to the characters in them, some of the storytelling methods he favors in some books (and why he doesn't use them in others), and how he feels lucky to have worked with the artists he has. He also explained to us why it's so expensive to get vomiting drunk in Chicago, why we were suckers to get vomiting drunk in Chicago, and why he favors writing about damaged people like the kind who like to get vomiting drunk in Chicago. It was an interesting and wide-ranging conversation, and we're pleased to bring it to you.<br />
<br />
Amanda and Rob also discuss Star Lord And Kitty Pryde #1 by written by Sam Humphries with art by and Alti Firmansyah, and The Punisher #20, written by Nathan Edmondson with art by Mitch Gerads!Crisis On Infinite Midlivesyes11079Episode 79: Wattle Throttlehttp://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2015/07/19/episode-79-wattle-throttle/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2015/07/19/episode-79-wattle-throttle/#respondMon, 20 Jul 2015 02:51:56 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=11071Marvel Studios’s Ant-Man opened in the United States this weekend, marking the first Marvel movie in years where non-geeks said, “Who?”

So we decided to mark the occasion by bringing in comedians Tim McIntire and Benari Poulten (who guested on our Avengers: Age of Ultron episode), as well as comedian Ross Garmil, to talk about the movie. Spoiler alert: we liked it because of the characters, and in spite of the fact that Edgar Wright didn’t direct it, and that it had more holes than a Guadalupe Yambiter ant hill.

But being geeks, the conversation meandered a bit, to also include some Batman V Superman and Star Wars: The Force Awakens talk. With a few unexpected detours and interruptions. This is a wild one, but a fun one, kids…

And now, the disclaimers:

While we normally record this show live to tape, this week our guests called in remote from their homes, where two of them also store children. This means that we had to do more editing than usual, but nothing was added or moved.

This show contains spoilers. If you were hoping to learn that Ant-Man’s power involves ants at the theater, maybe save this episode for later.

This show contains adult, profane language, and is therefore not safe for work. If you think your boss would be creeped out by Rob asking a child to check a video feed for possible infections, it means that your boss is a well-adjusted human being, and that you should listen with headphones.

Thanks for listening, suckers!

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2015/07/19/episode-79-wattle-throttle/feed/0Marvel Studios’s Ant-Man opened in the United States this weekend, marking the first Marvel movie in years where non-geeks said, “Who?” So we decided to mark the occasion by bringing in comedians Tim McIntire and Benari Poulten (who guested on our Aven...Marvel Studios's Ant-Man opened in the United States this weekend, marking the first Marvel movie in years where non-geeks said, "Who?"<br />
<br />
So we decided to mark the occasion by bringing in comedians Tim McIntire and Benari Poulten (who guested on our Avengers: Age of Ultron episode), as well as comedian Ross Garmil, to talk about the movie. Spoiler alert: we liked it because of the characters, and in spite of the fact that Edgar Wright didn't direct it, and that it had more holes than a Guadalupe Yambiter ant hill.<br />
<br />
But being geeks, the conversation meandered a bit, to also include some Batman V Superman and Star Wars: The Force Awakens talk. With a few unexpected detours and interruptions. This is a wild one, but a fun one, kids...Crisis On Infinite Midlivesyes74:2711071Episode 78: Hotboxing Hall Hhttp://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2015/07/12/episode-78-hotboxing-hall-h/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2015/07/12/episode-78-hotboxing-hall-h/#respondMon, 13 Jul 2015 02:24:32 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=11064San Diego Comic-Con was this week, and for the first time in nine years, we were not there. And not being at SDCC is a weird experience for us, so we spend a little time talking about how technology like Twitter and YouTube have made it possible to learn most of the big, important news from the show floor, while not in any way reproducing the little experiences that you can only get straight from the scene. Like being accosted by evangelicals, or getting intoxicated on local beers. Sometimes at the same time.

However, we did have our own personal lifeline to the show floor: Los Angeles comedian Gariana Abeyta, who guested on our favorite SDCC 2014 episode, and who managed to snag four-day passes to this year’s convention. Gariana was good enough to call into the show this morning, and it is a short glimpse not only into some hard news about some Hall H events, but into how the mind starts to go after four days of non-stop spectacle.

One of the big items to come from Comic-Con was the first full Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice trailer, which was officially released just hours after the Warner Bros. panel. And Amanda and I spend some time breaking it down, discussing the implied backstory of Batman (including the fate of at least one Robin), Superman’s questionable upbringing, and Lex Luthor’s terrible, terrible Kip Winger-pelt toupee.

We also discuss: Civil War #1, written by Charles Soule, with art by Leinil Francis Yu!

And, as usual, the disclaimers:

We record this show live to tape, with minimal editing (although this episode, we cut Gariana’s call in from an earlier recording). While this might mean a looser comics podcast than you are used to, it also means that anything can happen. Like figuring out where Superman likes to whip out his Codex.

This show contains spoilers. While we try to shout out warnings ahead of time, you should assume that we will ruin the fact that in Civil War, what we’ve got here is a failure to communicate.

This show contains adult, profane language, and is therefore not safe for work. Unless you want your employer to learn the word that we’ve decided will keep us from mainstream fame and fortune, you should get some headphones.

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2015/07/12/episode-78-hotboxing-hall-h/feed/0San Diego Comic-Con was this week, and for the first time in nine years, we were not there. And not being at SDCC is a weird experience for us, so we spend a little time talking about how technology like Twitter and YouTube have made it possible to lea...San Diego Comic-Con was this week, and for the first time in nine years, we were not there. And not being at SDCC is a weird experience for us, so we spend a little time talking about how technology like Twitter and YouTube have made it possible to learn most of the big, important news from the show floor, while not in any way reproducing the little experiences that you can only get straight from the scene. Like being accosted by evangelicals, or getting intoxicated on local beers. Sometimes at the same time.<br />
<br />
However, we did have our own personal lifeline to the show floor: Los Angeles comedian Gariana Abeyta, who guested on our favorite SDCC 2014 episode, and who managed to snag four-day passes to this year's convention. Gariana was good enough to call into the show this morning, and it is a short glimpse not only into some hard news about some Hall H events, but into how the mind starts to go after four days of non-stop spectacle.<br />
<br />
One of the big items to come from Comic-Con was the first full Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice trailer, which was officially released just hours after the Warner Bros. panel. And Amanda and I spend some time breaking it down, discussing the implied backstory of Batman (including the fate of at least one Robin), Superman's questionable upbringing, and Lex Luthor's terrible, terrible Kip Winger-pelt toupee.<br />
<br />
We also discuss: Civil War #1, written by Charles Soule, with art by Leinil Francis Yu!Crisis On Infinite Midlivesyes11064Episode 77: The Moist Knighthttp://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2015/07/05/episode-77-the-moist-knight/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2015/07/05/episode-77-the-moist-knight/#respondMon, 06 Jul 2015 02:10:12 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=11054It’s the final day of a long holiday weekend in the United States. We celebrated Independence Day in the ways of our forefathers: by getting drunk, listening to stuff blow up, and spending hours and hours playing Batman: Arkham Knight on our brand new XBox One. So we spend a little time talking about the new game, the new game system, our relationship to gaming, and how, no matter which next generation console you choose, you are now doomed to live with that company’s games until they, or you, die.

But this is a comics show, and there was big comics news this week: Marvel announced a huge chunk of the books that they will be releasing in October to follow the universe-rebooting Secret Wars. It’s up to 45 books, which means we don’t have time to talk about all of them, but we spend a little time with Amazing Spider-Man, The Ultimates, Captain Marvel, Karnak, Old Man Logan, and Doctor Strange. We discuss how we think they’ll work, how Amazing Spider-Man could be the answer to the prayers of both fans and haters of One More Day, and how the creative team behind Doctor Strange has Rob as excited about a comic book as he’s been in years.

We also discuss:

Secret Wars #4, written by Jonathan Hickman with art by Esad Ribic,

We Stand On Guard #1, written by Brian K. Vaughan with art by Steve Skroce,

Groot #2, written by Jeff Loveness with art by Brian Kesinger, and:

Little AvX Marvel #2, written and drawn by Skottie Young!

And now the disclaimers:

We record this show live to tape, with minimal editing. While this might mean a looser comics podcast than you’re used to, it also means that anything can happen. Like learning about Immaculately Manscaped Galactus.

This show contains spoilers. While we try to shout out warnings ahead of time, be aware that you will learn which X-Man takes balls to the face in Little AvX Marvel.

This show contains adult, profane language, and is therefore not safe for work. You want your boss to know the etymology of the word “crotchal”? Then get some headphones.

Thanks for listening, suckers!

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2015/07/05/episode-77-the-moist-knight/feed/0It’s the final day of a long holiday weekend in the United States. We celebrated Independence Day in the ways of our forefathers: by getting drunk, listening to stuff blow up, and spending hours and hours playing Batman: Arkham Knight on our brand new ...It's the final day of a long holiday weekend in the United States. We celebrated Independence Day in the ways of our forefathers: by getting drunk, listening to stuff blow up, and spending hours and hours playing Batman: Arkham Knight on our brand new XBox One. So we spend a little time talking about the new game, the new game system, our relationship to gaming, and how, no matter which next generation console you choose, you are now doomed to live with that company's games until they, or you, die.<br />
<br />
But this is a comics show, and there was big comics news this week: Marvel announced a huge chunk of the books that they will be releasing in October to follow the universe-rebooting Secret Wars. It's up to 45 books, which means we don't have time to talk about all of them, but we spend a little time with Amazing Spider-Man, The Ultimates, Captain Marvel, Karnak, Old Man Logan, and Doctor Strange. We discuss how we think they'll work, how Amazing Spider-Man could be the answer to the prayers of both fans and haters of One More Day, and how the creative team behind Doctor Strange has Rob as excited about a comic book as he's been in years.<br />
<br />
We also discuss Secret Wars #4, written by Jonathan Hickman with art by Eaad Ribic, We Stand On Guard #1, written by Brian K. Vaughan with art by Steve Skroce, Groot #2, written by Jeff Loveness with art by Brian Kesinger, and Little AvX Marvel #2, written and drawn by Skottie Young!Crisis On Infinite Midlivesyes11054Episode 76: The Hiro Nakamura Experiencehttp://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2015/06/28/episode-76-the-hiro-nakamura-experience/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2015/06/28/episode-76-the-hiro-nakamura-experience/#respondMon, 29 Jun 2015 02:01:57 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=11039We’re a couple of weeks out of San Diego Comic-Con, and, even though we can hardly believe it, it turns out that one of the panels we’ll be missing the most? The Heroes Reborn panel on Sunday in Hall H.

I think we can all agree that Heroes kinda went sideways in its later seasons, but we’ve always had a soft spot for the show, ever since seeing the pilot at our very first San Diego Comic-Con. And all these years later, it’s easy to forget just how exciting the show was in its first season. So we discuss what was so exciting about the show in its first season, what went wrong as time went on, what we know about Heroes Reborn, and what we want to see from this miniseries.

We also discuss the Miles Morales-starring Spider-Man book announced by Marvel last week, including what this might mean for Peter Parker, why it was a foregone conclusion that Miles would not only get his own post-Secret Wars book, but keep the name Spider-Man, and what the timing of this announcement might have to do with recent Marvel Studios activity.

We also discuss:

We Are Robin #1, written by Lee Bermejo with art by Jorge Corona, and:

Gotham by Midnight #6, written by Ray Fawkes with art by Juan Ferreyra!

And, the usual legalese:

We record this show live to tape, with minimal editing. While this might mean a looser comics podcast than you are used to, it also means that anything can happen. Like learning why D-Man is to beautiful and ephemeral a character to ever be put on film.

This show has a lot of spoilers. While we try to shout out warnings ahead of time, if you want to find out for yourself if they ever Saved The Cheerleader? Be forewarned.

This show contains adult, profane language, and is therefore not safe for work. You want your employer to learn the finer points of performing a Spider-Mohinder? Get yourself some headphones.

Enjoy the show, suckers!

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2015/06/28/episode-76-the-hiro-nakamura-experience/feed/0We’re a couple of weeks out of San Diego Comic-Con, and, even though we can hardly believe it, it turns out that one of the panels we’ll be missing the most? The Heroes Reborn panel on Sunday in Hall H. I think we can all agree that Heroes kinda went s...We're a couple of weeks out of San Diego Comic-Con, and, even though we can hardly believe it, it turns out that one of the panels we'll be missing the most? The Heroes Reborn panel on Sunday in Hall H.<br />
<br />
I think we can all agree that Heroes kinda went sideways in its later seasons, but we've always had a soft spot for the show, ever since seeing the pilot at our very first San Diego Comic-Con. And all these years later, it's easy to forget just how exciting the show was in its first season. So we discuss what was so exciting about the show in its first season, what went wrong as time went on, what we know about Heroes Reborn, and what we want to see from this miniseries.<br />
<br />
We also discuss the Miles Morales-starring Spider-Man book announced by Marvel last week, including what this might mean for Peter Parker, why it was a foregone conclusion that Miles would not only get his own post-Secret Wars book, but keep the name Spider-Man, and what the timing of this announcement might have to do with recent Marvel Studios activity.<br />
<br />
We also discuss We Are Robin #1, written by Lee Bermejo with art by Jorge Corona, and Gotham by Midnight #6, written by Ray Fawkes with art by Juan Ferreyra!Crisis On Infinite Midlivesyes11039Episode 75: White Walker Simbahttp://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2015/06/21/episode-75-white-walker-simba/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2015/06/21/episode-75-white-walker-simba/#respondMon, 22 Jun 2015 02:36:56 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=11013We have a special guest this week: John Keating, a former Boston comedian who now lives in Los Angeles, working as an actor, who has a couple of geek-related projects in the works. He plays a primary character in the independent movie The Concessionaires Must Die!, a film about a bunch of genre geeks who work at a movie theater that’s about to close down, and which features a cameo by Stan Lee (playing someone other than Stan Lee for a change!). John’s also voice acting in a cartoon called Gen Zed, about a group of videogamers living together in a house, starring the first transgender voice actress in a lead role. So we spend some time talking about indie film production, the unique way that the directors and producers of The Concessionaires Must Die! got some early buzz and interest in the flick, and some of the basic ins and outs of voice acting in an animated show!

But John isn’t just an actor, he’s a longtime fellow geek with a huge interest in Game of Thrones. So we spend a lot of time talking about the fifth season of the HBO show, including our favorite and least favorite moments and storylines (hi, Sand Snakes!), some of the greater themes put forth in the season (like the effects of blind faith, and the perils of governing when you misunderstand your subjects), and whether the levels of violence and terror in some parts of the season were justified by the story and characters. And you know which parts we’re talking about.

We record this show live to tape, with minimal editing (although a couple of parts were cut to eliminate old inside jokes you wouldn’t understand, and to protect our secret identity). While this might mean a looser comics podcast than you are used to, it also means that anything can happen. Like learning the perils of Al Goldstein’s film festival.

This show contains spoilers. If you haven’t seen Game of Thrones fifth season, be forewarned.

This show contains adult, profane language, and is therefore not safe for work. Unless you want your employer to hear the name of Al Goldstein’s film festival, get yourself some headphones.

And to get a sense of John’s current projects, here are the trailers for The Concessionaires Must Die!, and Gen Zed!

Thanks for listening, suckers!

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2015/06/21/episode-75-white-walker-simba/feed/0We have a special guest this week: John Keating, a former Boston comedian who now lives in Los Angeles, working as an actor, who has a couple of geek-related projects in the works. He plays a primary character in the independent movie The Concessionair...We have a special guest this week: John Keating, a former Boston comedian who now lives in Los Angeles, working as an actor, who has a couple of geek-related projects in the works. He plays a primary character in the independent movie The Concessionaires Must Die!, a film about a bunch of genre geeks who work at a movie theater that's about to close down, and which features a cameo by Stan Lee (playing someone other than Stan Lee for a change!). He's also voice acting in a cartoon called Gen Zed, about a group of videogamers living together in a house, starring the first transgender voice actress in a lead role. So we spend some time talking about indie film production, the unique way that the directors and producers of The Concessionaires Must Die! got some early buzz and interest in the flick, and some of the basic ins and outs of voice acting in an animated show!<br />
<br />
But John isn't just an actor, he's a longtime fellow geek with a huge interest in Game of Thrones. So we spend a lot of time talking about the fifth season of the HBO show, including our favorite and least favorite moments and storylines (hi, Sand Snakes!), some of the greater themes put forth in the season (like the effects of blind faith, and the perils of governing when you misunderstand your subjects), and whether the levels of violence and terror in some parts of the season were justified by the story and characters. And you know which parts we're talking about.<br />
<br />
We also discuss Mad Max Fury Road: Furiosa #1, written by George Miller, Nico Lathouris and Mark Sexton, with art by Sexton, Tristan Jones and Szymon Kudranski, and Thors #1, written by Jason Aaron with art by Chris Sprouse!Crisis On Infinite Midlivesyes2:35:2011013Episode 74: Like Billy Batson At A Pharma Partyhttp://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2015/06/14/episode-74-like-billy-batson-at-a-pharma-party/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2015/06/14/episode-74-like-billy-batson-at-a-pharma-party/#respondMon, 15 Jun 2015 02:11:21 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=11006We are back, after a week spent upgrading various parts of our online infrastructure! Which was exactly as exciting as it sounds! Provided you are Lex from Jurassic Park and know Unix! Unlike us!

And we came back just in time for an almost complete comics news drought. This happens ever year in the couple of weeks leading up to San Diego Comic-Con; the publishers save their big announcements for the show, while leaking only little things, like TV casting announcements.

So the news about comics winds up being news about comics at SDCC. So this week, we discuss a couple of announcements about the convention itself, including some of the… shall we say, odder… convention exclusives that some vendors are making available, to the announcement that Marvel Studios won’t be having a Hall H presence this year, while Star Wars and DC / Warner Bros. (probably) will be having a big one.

And we took the opportunity afforded by a relatively slow news week to talk about more of this week’s comics than usual, including:

Starve #1, written by Brian Wood with art by Daniel Zezelj,

Starfire #1, written by Amanda Conner and Jimmy Palmiotti with art by Emanuela Lupacchino,

Constantine, The Hellblazer #1, written by Ming Doyle and James Tynion IV with art by Riley Rossmo, and

Batman #41, written by Scott Snyder with art by Greg Capullo!

And, as usual, the disclaimers:

We record this show live to tape, with minimal editing. While this might mean a looser comics podcast than you are used to, it also means that anything can happen. Like learning why putting a cape on your office chair means Gotham City is doomed.

This show contains spoilers. While we try to shout out warnings ahead of time, please be aware that we might ruin stuff for you.

This show contains adult, profane language, and is therefore not safe for work. Unless you want your employer to hear multiple references to a sketchy, ten-dollar party, get some headphones.

Enjoy the show, suckers!

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2015/06/14/episode-74-like-billy-batson-at-a-pharma-party/feed/0We are back, after a week spent upgrading various parts of our online infrastructure! Which was exactly as exciting as it sounds! Provided you are Lex from Jurassic Park and know Unix! Unlike us! And we came back just in time for an almost complete com...We are back, after a week spent upgrading various parts of our online infrastructure! And we came back just in time for an almost complete comics news drought. This happens ever year in the couple of weeks leading up to San Diego Comic-Con; the publishers save their big announcements for the show, while leaking only little things, like TV casting announcements.<br />
<br />
So the news about comics winds up being news about comics at SDCC. So this week, we discuss a couple of announcements about the convention itself, including some of the... shall we say, odder... convention exclusives that some vendors are making available, to the announcement that Marvel Studios won't be having a Hall H presence this year, while Star Wars and DC / Warner Bros. (probably) will be having a big one.<br />
<br />
And we took the opportunity afforded by a relatively slow news week to talk about more of this week's comics than usual, including Starve #1, written by Brian Wood with art by Daniel Zezelj, Starfire #1, written by Amanda Conner and Jimmy Palmiotti with art by Emanuela Lupacchino, Constantine, The Hellblazer #1, written by Ming Doyle and James Tynion IV with art by Riley Rossmo, and Batman #41, written by Scott Snyder with art by Greg Capullo!Crisis On Infinite Midlivesyes1:57:2811006Bad Technicianhttp://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2015/06/07/bad-technician/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2015/06/07/bad-technician/#respondMon, 08 Jun 2015 02:30:55 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=10998As we announced on the show for the last couple of weeks, there won’t be a new podcast today. We’ve spent almost the entire weekend upgrading not only the engine that drives our Web site, but that handles creating the feeds for the podcast itself. Should this task have taken nearly 48 hours? Probably not. But the Crisis On Infinite Midlives Director of Information Technology is a known drunkard who spends most of his (increasingly rare) sober time reading comic books.

We will return to our regularly scheduled programming next Sunday at 10:30 p.m. Eastern time, but there are one or two technical changes here I wanted to let you know about.

The biggest change is that of our podcast feed. In short, it has moved. We have taken as much care as possible to make and test the necessary modifications and redirections under the hood to prevent this change from affecting anyone, but if you have an issue finding new shows, you can subscribe directly to our new feed here. If you do run into trouble, please use our contact form to let us know and we’ll try to figure it out.

Second, we’ve added one or two new ways to subscribe to the show. You might notice a new More Subscribe Options link under the audio player for each show. You can use that to find the latest and greatest ways to make sure you get the show as quickly and reliably as humanly possible.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, it’s time to close the damn HTTP editor, open ten beers, and see if Secret Wars #3 is just as much of a bummer as the first two.

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2015/06/07/bad-technician/feed/010998Episode 73: And Now, The Hulk, For Chuck Norris Stretchy Action Pantshttp://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2015/05/31/episode-73-and-now-the-hulk-for-chuck-norris-stretchy-action-pants/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2015/05/31/episode-73-and-now-the-hulk-for-chuck-norris-stretchy-action-pants/#respondMon, 01 Jun 2015 02:30:57 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=10957While it might not be the biggest comics-related news of the week, it was an item that particularly infuriated us: the confirmation that DC Comics would be running half-page ads on two comic pages in their June comics.

While the news isn’t as dire as the original rumor made things out to be, putting advertising on comic pages even for just a month is potentially a slippery slope. So we talk about not just being enraged by more and more intrusive advertising, but the effect that accepting half-page ads could have on comic storytelling, story length, creator compensation, the secondary comics art market, and worst of all: people thinking that Twix is an acceptable candy choice.

This week also brought us the end of DC’s Convergence event. Which, as promised, seems to have opened up the entirety of DC’s history to modern storytellers… but at what cost? We talk about Brainiac’s passive characterization at the end of the story, and more importantly, DC’s seeming off-camera utter nullification of one of the biggest and arguably most important comic stories of all time.

We also talk about:

Fight Club 2 #1, written by Chuck Palahniuk with art by Cameron Stewart,

Grindhouse #5: Lady Danger: Agent of B.O.O.T.I, written by Alex De Campi with art by Mulele Jarvis, and:

Where Monsters Dwell #1, written by Garth Ennis with art by Russ Braun!

And now the standard disclaimers:

We record this show live to tape, with minimal editing. While this might mean a looser comics podcast than you are used to, it also means that anything can happen. Like Rob’s discussion with beloved and abused parts of his anatomy.

This show contains spoilers. While we try to shout out warnings ahead of time, just assume that we are not following the first rule of Fight Club.

This show contains adult, profane language, and is therefore not safe for work. You want your boss to hear about some slightly shadier (and made up) Twix products? Trust me, you do not. Get some headphones.

Thanks for listening, suckers!

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2015/05/31/episode-73-and-now-the-hulk-for-chuck-norris-stretchy-action-pants/feed/0While it might not be the biggest comics-related news of the week, it was an item that particularly infuriated us: the confirmation that DC Comics would be running half-page ads on two comic pages in their June comics.While it might not be the biggest comics-related news of the week, it was an item that particularly infuriated us: the confirmation that DC Comics would be running half-page ads on two comic pages in their June comics. While the news isn’t as dire as the original rumor made things out to be, putting advertising […]Crisis On Infinite Midlivesyes1:48:0910957Episode 72: He’s Calling From Inside The Pouch!http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2015/05/24/episode-72-hes-calling-from-inside-the-pouch/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2015/05/24/episode-72-hes-calling-from-inside-the-pouch/#commentsMon, 25 May 2015 02:30:48 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=10952Last week, we talked about how the future of the DC television shows, particularly the upcoming Legends of Tomorrow and Supergirl, and how they might fit into the continuity created in Arrow and The Flash on The CW. And we mentioned over and over again that it’s hard to figure out the direction of the upcoming shows based only on trailers and not even a complete episode.

Well, clearly someone trusted with access to intellectual property at CBS or Berlanti Productions was listening, because the complete, hi-def pilot to Supergirl leaked to the Internet on Friday afternoon. And while normally one needs a little technical knowledge to find pirated videos online, this one leaked in a way where anyone with a mind to can watch it (although I’d use that link quickly, as CBS’s lawyers will be back from the Memorial Day holiday weekend bright and early Tuesday morning).

So we talk about the pilot, including how it uses the Superman mythos as shorthand to build Supergirl’s back story quickly (in ways both good and bad), how it’s potentially laying the groundwork for some continuity from the comics, possibly introducing an entirely new version of Lex Luthor, and creating questionable relationships between Superman and the government. We also talk about how the pilot wears its “girl power” themes on its sleeve, and whether that’s something that’s desirable or sustainable in the long run.

We also discuss:

Planet Hulk #1, written by Sam Humphries and Greg Pak, with art by Marc Laming and Takeshi Miyazawa,

Ultimate End #1, written by Brian Michael Bendis with art by Mark Bagley, and:

We record this show live to tape with minimal editing. While this might mean a looser comics podcast than you are used to, it also means that anything can happen. Like learning the origin story of Trucker Klingon, a.k.a. Steroid Loki.

This show contains spoilers. Like, we spoil the entire pilot of Supergirl. Consider yourself warned.

This show contains adult, profane language, and is therefore not safe for work. You want your boss to learn the filthy double meaning behind Deadpool’s 80s-style costume logo? Of course not; nobody needs a visit to human resources on a short holiday week. Get yourself some headphones.

Enjoy the show, suckers!

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2015/05/24/episode-72-hes-calling-from-inside-the-pouch/feed/2Last week, we talked about how the future of the DC television shows, particularly the upcoming Legends of Tomorrow and Supergirl, and how they might fit into the continuity created in Arrow and The Flash on The CW.Last week, we talked about how the future of the DC television shows, particularly the upcoming Legends of Tomorrow and Supergirl, and how they might fit into the continuity created in Arrow and The Flash on The CW. And we mentioned over and over again that it’s hard to figure out the direction of the […]Crisis On Infinite Midlivesyes2:03:4810952Episode 71: The Marvel Universe Is LARPinghttp://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2015/05/17/episode-71-the-marvel-universe-is-larping/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2015/05/17/episode-71-the-marvel-universe-is-larping/#respondMon, 18 May 2015 02:46:50 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=10949This was a big week for the DC Television Universe (or, based on the television network most of it is on, The DCW). We saw crossovers between Arrow and The Flash, with new trailers released for the upcoming Legends of Tomorrow superteam show with characters from both shows, and Supergirl, which might or might not be part of the same continuity. And as we watched it all, we wondered how DC and Warner Bros. managed to create a continuity-consistent version of the Justice League, under our noses and on television, seemingly without our noticing.

So we discuss what DC has built, how what’s coming can only expand upon it, and how, in its own way, it’s at least as exciting as what Marvel has accomplished with their Cinematic Universe… and how it’s possibly more exciting than what DC is trying to do with their characters in major motion pictures.

We also briefly discuss the previews for DC’s upcoming Bizarro, Doctor Fate and Gotham At Midnight, before diving into:

Secret Wars #2, written by Jonathan Hickman with art by Esad Ribic, and:

Captain America And The Mighty Avengers, written by Al Ewing with art by Luke Ross!

And, as always, the disclaimers:

We record this show live to tape, with minimal editing. While this might mean a looser comics podcast than you are used to, it also means that anything can happen! So listen to find out what 90’s television show is our own personal Vietnam!

This show contains spoilers. While we try to shout out warnings ahead of time, assume that we will ruin everything for you.

This show contains adult, profane language, and is therefore not safe for work. Unless you want your employer to hear about Doctor Strange and his “little finger,” you’ll want to find some headphones.

Enjoy the show, suckers!

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2015/05/17/episode-71-the-marvel-universe-is-larping/feed/0This was a big week for the DC Television Universe (or, based on the television network most of it is on, The DCW). We saw crossovers between Arrow and The Flash, with new trailers released for the upcoming Legends of Tomorrow superteam show with chara...This was a big week for the DC Television Universe (or, based on the television network most of it is on, The DCW). We saw crossovers between Arrow and The Flash, with new trailers released for the upcoming Legends of Tomorrow superteam show with characters from both shows, and Supergirl, which might or might not […]Crisis On Infinite Midlivesyes1:56:5710949Age of Failed Viewing Comprehension: How Avengers 2 Isn’t A Self-Contained Popcorn Moviehttp://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2015/05/15/age-of-failed-viewing-comprehension-how-avengers-2-isnt-a-self-contained-popcorn-movie/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2015/05/15/age-of-failed-viewing-comprehension-how-avengers-2-isnt-a-self-contained-popcorn-movie/#respondFri, 15 May 2015 23:34:23 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=10927We are at peak Avengers: Age of Ultron backlash. The flick hasn’t been reviewed with nearly the nerd boner that the first Avengers movie got… and on some level, I agree. The first Avengers was better. That doesn’t automatically make AoU bad, but I can see how it would disappoint some people. You know, people who didn’t live through a time when, across a three-year span of time, the only comic book movie we got was Howard the Duck.

But the backlash has strengthened, for some, into legitimate anger. Consider this 4,200 word complaint that AoU is a failure on almost every level that one would want in a “popcorn movie.” Sady Doyle, the author, says she likes popcorn movies – big ‘splosions, giant robots, “pure, overwhelming spectacle.” She says she likes ’em big and dumb, kids. So then we’ll be on her side as she tears the flick apart, piece by piece, as useless.

She’s wrong, of course. Let’s figure out why! And I got my own 4,000 words to do it, so buckle up!

The nuts and bolts of Doyle’s argument are that Age of Ultron is too packed with characters, “product placement” for other Marvel Studios projects, and, ultimately, sexist in the handling of Black Widow.

She makes certain points that I agree with. Some of the stuff writer / director Joss Whedon and producer Kevin Feige plugged into the flick to tie it into the rest of the Marvel Cinematic Universe did seem forced. Thor running off to meet Dr. Selvig to take a dip in a magic hot tub that I don’t remember ever seeing before just to see the Infinity Gauntlet seemed like it came out of left field. And Falcon’s little comment that he was working on a “missing person’s case” yanked me out of the flick until I remembered that Captain America was still looking for The Winter Soldier.

But on some level, this is necessary. Doyle might be a fan of “popcorn movies,” but AoU is something different: it is a comic book movie. In the purest sense of the word: every story is part of a larger story that, if Kevin Feige does his job right, will never end.

Someone – probably Marvel Editor-in-Chief Axel Alonso, but whatever – has called the Marvel Universe the longest-running, non-stop, sequential story told in human history. It starts with Fantastic Four #1 in 1961 and, well, apparently ended with Secret Wars #1 last week. But the point is that, any given package of storytelling is a chapter. It should function with a beginning, a middle, and an end… but with the assumption that that “end” is not ultimate, and the beginning is not, “Let There Be Light!” The overall story will continue in the next chapter, and the previous chapters are important to the continuing story.

Doyle complains that AoU is so stuffed that most characters get short shrift in the character arc department. And she has a point, but only if you forget the fact that these characters’ arcs span multiple movies. She complains that Tony Stark’s arc in Age of Ultron is cut short, apparently ignoring the fact that his first character arc, from selfish cad to legitimate, self-sacrificing hero, spanned three movies: Iron Man, Iron Man 2 and Avengers. His current arc started in Iron Man 3, will continue through Captain America: Civil War, and probably go through The Infinity War, ending in another act of sacrifice that brings his story to a close. Because Marvel Studios will kill Tony Stark, because my guess is that Ike Permutter would rather eat a bug than give Robert Downey Jr. cab fare home, let alone a percentage of the gross. But I digress.

Besides, this movie’s not called Iron Man 4 or Thor 3 or Ant-Man 1/2, it’s called Avengers, and the team has a complete arc. They start as a complete, finely-tuned unit. They are tested by being shown their fears by Scarlet Witch. Cracks begin to show. Members question their continued involvement. They confront what the team means, and learn that it is bigger than the current members (“If you walk out that door, then you are an Avenger.”) And ultimately most individual members of the team peel off, knowing that the concept of The Avengers can encompass anyone committed to that mission, and therefore it cannot be destroyed. Which is a lot of words to say, “There is no ‘I’ in team.”

But there is an “i” in “Black Widow.” So what the hell, let’s talk about her.

Again: AoU is part of a story that never ends. Any character’s arc crosses multiple properties and media. It’s part of what makes superhero comic book fans love the medium… and it’s the reason why almost everybody has completely misconstrued Black Widow’s character arc in AoU as sexist and lacking agency. They’re not considering the character across all her appearances.

Doyle, too, gets this wrong. In fact, she specifically peels away from her general disdain for the movie to specifically address Widow:

But when you’re doing all your character work with shortcuts, and you have to write a shortcut for your female character, what do you come up with? She’s that one dude’s girlfriend, obviously, is a time-honored shortcut, used or teased by every Marvel writer who’s put Black Widow in a movie — as a woman, she’s an Other, and a sexual object, and therefore must be deployed as a potential or actual sexual reward for a male viewpoint character, rather than being a viewpoint herself… If you want to deepen your female character past being a sexual object, in a movie that has no time or patience for anything resembling “depth,” what conflicts do you give her? Well, women have babies, right? Women want babies. Okay. She can’t have babies. She’s sad because she can’t have babies. There you go! Depth established!

I never thought I’d be the kind of person who believed that a crime against feminism was less important than a crime against storytelling, but in this case, they’re so interconnected that it’s hard to tell the difference. When you can’t write, you can’t write women.

And when you can’t think in terms of stories that span multiple chapters, you can’t understand what the fuck you’re talking about.

Now might be the time when some might start sputtering, “MANSPLAINING,” but you’re wrong. Because I generally felt the same way about Widow’s arc walking out of AoU the first time. I had to be set straight by a woman. One who loves comics and pays more attention than me or Doyle.

The theory that follows is not mine. It comes, in whole, from my co-host and co-editor Amanda, who is much smarter than I am. She first presented it in the AoU episode of our podcast, which you should listen to not just to hear it from the mouth of the woman who puzzled it out, and not just to hear her change the minds of the three dudes on the show, but because it’s really fun and a lot less judgmental than this editorial is about to become.

So why am I writing it? Because she has better things to do than deal with people who are wrong on the Internet.

—————————————-

So: the Widow. Doyle and others are upset that Whedon showed her seemingly showing feelings toward Banner. They’re pissed that she tells him that she is willing to leave the Avengers to be with him if he quits. They’re angry that she said that she was sterilized in the Red Room, and that she then calls herself a monster. Let’s start there.

Remember: AoU is not a movie that takes place in a vacuum. It is the eleventh part of a story that began in 2008 with Iron Man. Which means Widow’s character needs to be considered in the entirety of that story, which started for her in 2010’s Iron Man 2, and has spanned four movies.

Think about when we first saw Widow in Avengers. She was tied to a chair with her life being threatened… and yet she was still in total control. Later, she is verbally abused by Loki, but still: she’s the one who winds up having the power in that exchange. Why? Because Whedon shows us that Widow is a master manipulator. Her superpower, if she has one, is the ability to make men do what she wants.

We learn early in Avengers that Widow is tasked by Nick Fury to wrangle Banner to the team and keep him under control. We are also shown that he scares the living hell out of her, presumably because he is a dangerous primal force that she doesn’t know how to control.

So, two questions:

What makes you think that Widow’s mission has changed between the two movies?

What makes you think that Widow was unable to find a way to control Banner and the Hulk?

My partner Amanda believes (and she has convinced me) that Widow is always shown to be focused on her mission. We’ve seen it over and over again: she allows herself to be objectified by Stark to stay close to him and try to gain access to his technology in Iron Man 2. She faces Banner in Avengers despite being terrified. She downloads data in Winter Soldier despite jeopardizing Captain America’s battle against Batroc.

Do you really think that person would ever consider chucking it all to go on the run with Bruce Banner? Or is it more likely that she would tell Bruce that to maintain his confidence and keep herself close to him to maintain influence over him?

And regarding The Hulk: in The Incredible Hulk, we saw Hulk unwilling to attack Betty Ross, who Banner loves. This relationship even gets subtly namechecked in AoU – the Hulkbuster armor is nicknamed “Veronica.” Why? Because Hulk loves Betty. This behavior by The Hulk would be common knowledge to SHIELD, so Natasha would know this. It should be common knowledge to viewers. Or at least ones who understand that continuity matters.

Let’s remember that, in Avengers, we saw Natasha Romanov lie to and trick a god – and not just any god, but the god of tricks and lies – in order to complete her mission. So what’s more likely: that she would fall loopy in love with Bruce Banner and quit The Avengers? Or that she would make Banner fall in love with her to make him stay on the team, and make The Hulk easier to control?

Tim McIntire, a guest on our AoU podcast, argued that we can believe Natasha really loves Bruce because Captain America said it, and he never lies. Of course he doesn’t, but he can only be truthful about what he believes. Do you think Natasha would have told Cap her mission regarding Banner? Do you believe that Captain America would condone acts of emotional and sexual manipulation against a trusted teammate? Again: she tricked Loki; fooling a high school graduate from 1941 who tries to see the most noble in people would be child’s play.

So: the “I’m sterilized” scene that Doyle and half the rest of the free world has obsessed over. We see Banner get out of the shower and threaten to leave the team. Then Natasha tells him about being sterilized in the Red Room before calling herself a monster. The prevailing anger seems to channel from Whedon having Widow call herself a monster because she is unable to have children.

But think about that scene through the lens of Natasha’s mission to keep Hulk on the team and control him.

Banner says he wants to leave, and that his motivation for this is based on Hulk’s uncontrolled rampage after Scarlet Witch’s mind control. He wants to run somewhere remote, because he is afraid that Hulk will hurt someone innocent. It is right at this moment when Natasha moves from the flirting she’s done until now to actual physical contact – she almost kisses Banner. And she immediately says that she’s coming with him.

Why would she do that? Because she’s suddenly chucked everything that she’s ever believed in to hang out with a science geek in some Unibomber shack? Don’t be dense. She did it to reinforce Banner’s affection for her (if Scarlett Johansson threw herself into my arms and asked my to run a frontal assault on Fort Knox, my first thought would be where I might find a tank), and change the game: if he runs to stay away from innocents, she will still be there. If Banner’s goal is to stay away from people he might not be able to stop himself from hurting, Natasha, who he has feelings for, will be right there in the line of fire.

So Banner, believing that Natasha is showing intentions of leaving her life and shacking up with him in East Buttfuck, tries to convince her to let him go. He does this by trying to convince her that they have no future together. He waves at Hawkeye’s home, where his wife and children live, and tells Natasha, “I can’t have this… kids… do the math, I physically can’t.” That’s when she tells him about her sterilization, how it made her a more efficient killer, and therefore “a monster.”

Two things here: a lot of anger has come from people interpreting that Widow calls herself a monster because she can’t have children. But those people are completely ignoring that, between talking sterilization and “monster,” she says that infertility, “makes everything easier. Even killing.” She calls herself a monster because she was raised and trained as a killer. She has killed many people, possibly today.

And second: we submit that she only brought up infertility as a counter to Banner’s argument that she should leave him because they can’t have a family. The goal was not to denigrate herself, it was to make Banner believe that he couldn’t achieve his goal of disappearing and not being a danger to anyone. She is effectively saying, “We can’t have kids? Don’t care. Here’s why. Your argument therefore has zero effect on me, and I will be there the next time you Hulk out. Escape from this problem is not an option.”

And here’s something that my partner Amanda just brought to my attention regarding this sequence: this is where we’re really shown that Natasha and Clint are best friends. We see Clint’s children calling for “Aunt Nat.” We see Clint’s wife Laura prepared to name her daughter after Natasha. We are shown that Natasha is, really and truly, the best friend that Clint has… and yet Clint has no idea that Natasha supposedly has feelings for Banner? Really: we see Laura gently mocking Clint over the fact that he seems to have no idea that Natasha might like Bruce romantically.

Think about that. We “learn” that Natasha is into Bruce from observations from Captain America and Laura. But those are observations from the outside. Nobody ever says, “Nat and Bruce? Yeah, she told me that she’s got a chick boner for him.” And that includes Clint – her self-confessed best friend – whom one would suppose she might try to work through her supposed feelings about a man who, when excited, becomes a rampaging green atom bomb with a penis the size of a half keg.

So are we to believe that Cap and Laura can see the real truth (as inferred through the behavior of someone who can lie effectively to Loki) while Natasha just sorta fails to mention her “deep true feelings” about Banner to her best friend in the whole world? Or are we to believe that Natasha is working, and might not have any real true feelings to confess to her best friend? That’s one hell of a question that no one seems to be asking!

Anyway.

The other scene that has people in a twist is after Widow is captured by Ultron, and “rescued” by Banner. Doyle doesn’t reference this, but enough others have mentioned it online that I want to. The argument is that this makes Widow nothing but a “damsel in distress,” and weakens the character. This is bullshit.

First of all, this is an action / war story. And in those stories, people are sometimes captured. Hell, in Avengers, Hawkeye was not only captured, but completely robbed of any agency, and shown so emasculated by the experience that not only was he potentially unable to function afterwards, but it even affected him in AoU, three years later (when he stopped Scarlet Witch before she could hex him, he specifically referenced being mind controlled in Avengers). And yet nobody other than Jeremy Renner’s agent shrieked that it made Hawkeye less of a man.

So this time it was Widow’s turn. But let’s remember that we’ve seen her not only captured before, but in a way that would make a bondage pervert wear out his Avengers DVD by constantly rewinding the same spot. Here, sure, she’s thrown in a cage… but from that cage she is able to signal Hawkeye as to Ultron’s location… at the very least. But I’ll get back to that in a second.

So let’s talk about that cage Widow’s in. You know, that cage where she builds a telegraph that can signal halfway around the world from shit she was just carrying. You really think that she couldn’t have picked that lock? Hell, in Avengers, she managed to escape from being tied to a chair in front of five or six guys with guns pointed at her.

And here’s another question: why do you think Banner was the one who came to rescue her?

I mean, we see Banner sitting on the Quinjet during the fight against the twins, waiting to be specifically given the “Code Green” to Hulk out and move into action. It’s easy to presume that that’s the standard operating procedure when you’ve got a guy who’s the human equivalent of a weapon of mass destruction. So why is Banner sent into the belly of the beast? Particularly when Hawkeye – her best friend, and presumably trained in escape methodology – is around? Let’s remember that Banner showing up to break Widow out is the first thing we see of the final battle against Ultron – we literally go from Captain America talking about the plan, to Banner showing up outside Widow’s cell.

Our theory (and this is just a theory, as there is nothing in the theatrical cut to support this)? Widow told Hawkeye in her telegraph message to send Banner. Why? Because Banner has shown he is reticent to become Hulk when innocents are around. Therefore, he would be unlikely to voluntarily do so in a city full of people, particularly if she knew that Ultron planned to yank it a couple miles into the sky. So I think she asked for Banner so that she could have a chance to convince him to join the battle.

What part of that exchange leads you to believe that Widow is a damsel in distress, pining to be rescued by her big strong loverman? Her first reaction? We have work to do. That’s not exactly swooning over Prince Charming.

Banner continues the conversation, showing that he believed her earlier assertions that she was willing to run away with him. She asks him one more time if he’s “going to turn green,” and when he refuses? She says, “I adore you,” and kisses him for the first time… and then pushes him into the pit to turn him into Hulk, saying, “But I need the other guy.”

There are volumes in those nine words. Let’s start with, “I adore you.” Note that she doesn’t say, “I love you.” This cannot be an accident. This is the kind of word-mincing that a high school poetry geek uses to keep his girlfriend around while leaving himself just enough equivocation to be able to pull new tail without having technically lied.

And then there’s, “But I need the other guy.” Not “we” need the other guy, but “I.” This places her actions completely within her own agency. She has chosen to place her needs over Banner’s, and her need is to complete the mission. Also note that this is the only time in AoU where Hulk is referred to as “the other guy,” unlike in Avengers, where the term constituted about ten percent of the running time. And it hammers home that Widow really sees Banner and Hulk as two different people, the way Banner saw himself three years ago… and she’s choosing “the other guy.”

I don’t have any superpowers. But even I know that if someone told me, “I adore you, but I need the other guy”? I just got fucking dumped. That’s not a woman who doesn’t have agency in her relationship. Jesus, Hulk probably rode that Quinjet to the nearest bar to mope.

Again, all of this speaks volumes, and none of them are about a swoony girl who can’t take care of herself and who is blinded by the kind of love you only see in a John Cusack flick. No, this Black Widow is a super spy whose “superpower” is manipulation, and who used that power to keep Banner on the team. All other objectives were secondary. I have no doubt that Natasha is fond of Banner – hell, he’s a nice guy! – but over the course of four movies, she’s manipulated smarter, more dangerous people than Bruce to achieve her mission. Why would Bruce be any different?

And we submit that that is why Hulk turned off the viewscreen in the Quinjet when Widow tried to convince him to come back. Because he knows that she doesn’t love him, and he knows that he cannot trust her. She’ll never come to find him – hell, the movie ends with her learning a possible location of the Quinjet… and then moving ahead with her job to train new Avengers. She doesn’t chase him down, she doesn’t start asking for the most likely locations near the crash site where Banner might be, she just does her job.

That’s not a woman who’s some “dude’s girlfriend,” or shattered by the fact that she can’t have children. That’s a fully actualized woman with a job to do who’s in total control at all times. She’s a character who’s actually a middle finger toward all those dudes’ girlfriends who really want to be mommies. She’s a badass… and Doyle? You missed it.

But what the hell; so did I. Only Amanda got it, because again: she’s much smarter than I am. But it’s all there; if either Doyle or I had taken the time to remember that we were watching a chapter in an ongoing story instead of just a single movie, we’d have gotten it.

And you can argue that that’s a failure in the writing or the directing or the editing, and maybe you’re right. But if this happened in a comic book, I’d have gotten it. Because I have been trained to understand that any given issue is but a part of a neverending story. It’s part of why I love comics…

…and it’s part of why there’s so much “Marvel product placement” in these movies. Because none of us have been trained to watch movies in the way that we read comics. We need to be shown, and constantly reminded, that all of these Marvel movies and TV shows are part of a single story. We need to be trained.

And until we are? Unless they’re lucky enough to have a smart woman around to set them straight, people are gonna see nothing but a popcorn movie that isn’t a complete story, and misconstrue huge parts of it. And thanks to the Internet, they’re gonna write about it.

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2015/05/15/age-of-failed-viewing-comprehension-how-avengers-2-isnt-a-self-contained-popcorn-movie/feed/010927Episode 70: I Cannot Super Todayhttp://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2015/05/10/episode-70-i-cannot-super-today/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2015/05/10/episode-70-i-cannot-super-today/#respondMon, 11 May 2015 02:45:52 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=10930It is Mother’s Day today, which means a somewhat shorter and truncated show this week. Because when you’re a son or a daughter, you need to honor your mother on Mother’s Day. And it turns out that you need to do that whether you remember she’s visiting that day, or whether they need blind telephone technical support for several hours. Because she’s the woman who gave birth to you, and saying, “But we have a podcast to record!” isn’t a good excuse. Particularly when you don’t want Mom to know that you have a podcast.

So this week, we take advantage of the fact that Convergence is half over to discuss the previews of post-Convergence books, both new and old, that DC has released this week. The books run the gamut from humor to sci-fi to action to apparent political horror, so we talk about Doomed, Red Hood and Arsenal, Starfire, Midnighter, Green Lantern, Green Arrow, Omega Men, Detective Comics, Section Eight, and Prez.

But the big deal in this week’s comics was the first issue of Marvel’s Secret Wars, where Jonathan Hickman spits on his hands and takes Marvel the whole Crisis route. However, Secret Wars #1 isn’t Crisis. So we talk about how Hickman has put Marvel through it’s own Kobayashi Maru test, and given us a superhero story where nobody acts like a superhero, everyone seems to act in their own self-interest, and heroes act like they never have before in order to make sure everyone’s in the right place to service the plot. Ultimately, we talk about how this is a story that is very consistent with Hickman’s general style… and how that might not be the best thing for some of these characters.

And now, the disclaimers:

We record this show live to tape. While this might mean a looser comics podcast than you are used to, it also means that anything can happen. Like speculation about the musky flavor profile of Dead Guy Whiskey.

This show contains spoilers. While we try to shout out warnings ahead of time, just assume that you are going to learn exactly why Reed Richards is a d**k.

This show contains adult, profane language, and is therefore not safe for work. Unless you want your employer to learn our new cocktails based on Dead Guy Whiskey, get some headphones.

Thanks for listening, suckers!

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2015/05/10/episode-70-i-cannot-super-today/feed/0It is Mother’s Day today, which means a somewhat shorter and truncated show this week. Because when you’re a son or a daughter, you need to honor your mother on Mother’s Day. And it turns out that you need to do that whether you remember she’s visiting...It is Mother’s Day today, which means a somewhat shorter and truncated show this week. Because when you’re a son or a daughter, you need to honor your mother on Mother’s Day. And it turns out that you need to do that whether you remember she’s visiting that day, or whether they need blind telephone […]Crisis On Infinite Midlivesyes1:31:1310930Episode 69: The Hulk Whispererhttp://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2015/05/03/episode-69-the-hulk-whisperer/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2015/05/03/episode-69-the-hulk-whisperer/#respondMon, 04 May 2015 02:30:05 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=10924Let’s not pussyfoot around: the only thing any superhero comics fan is talking about this weekend is Avengers: Age of Ultron, which was released in the United States this past week. And we have seen it more than once, so we are ready to discuss it… but this week, we are not alone. We are joined by Boston comedian Tim McIntire, and New York comedian Benari Poulten – old friends and fellow Travelers in The Way of The Longbox – to tear the thing apart.

We discuss the things we liked about Age of Ultron, the things we thought could have used some work, and some of the specific character work done in the flick. We also talk about whether Black Widow really loved Bruce Banner (or whether she was simply continuing her mission, as an expert liar and manipulator, to keep Hulk on the team), how crazy Scarlet Witch might actually be, where Ultron stands in the ranks of Marvel movie villains, and why the end of the movie stands with the traditions of The Avengers in the comics (when it comes to rotating memberships and heroes that might not exactly meet the definition of “World’s Mightiest”) throughout the years.

We also peel off on a tangent as to whether Man of Steel deserves to be mentioned in the same breath as even Thor or The Incredible Hulk. Or in the same breath as The Trial of The Incredible Hulk. Suffice it to say that that this show is a load of contentious, hysterical fun.

And here, now, on a day unlike any other, come the disclaimers:

We record this show live to tape. While this might mean a looser comics podcast than you are used to, it also means that anything can happen. Like a discussion about the sexual history of Captain America.

This show contains spoilers. Frankly, we spoil just about all of Age of Ultron. So if you haven’t seen the movie, go do that right now. And then listen to this podcast.

This show contain adult, profane language, and is therefore not safe for work. If you don’t want your employer to hear about how Vibranium can apparently cure particular infestations, get yourself some headphones.

Enjoy the show, suckers!

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2015/05/03/episode-69-the-hulk-whisperer/feed/0Let’s not pussyfoot around: the only thing any superhero comics fan is talking about this weekend is Avengers: Age of Ultron, which was released in the United States this past week. And we have seen it more than once,Let’s not pussyfoot around: the only thing any superhero comics fan is talking about this weekend is Avengers: Age of Ultron, which was released in the United States this past week. And we have seen it more than once, so we are ready to discuss it… but this week, we are not alone. We are […]Crisis On Infinite Midlivesyes1:52:5710924Episode 68: C2E2 Panel Recap, Part 2: Hot Bullock Action With Pizza And Hookershttp://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2015/04/30/episode-68-c2e2-panel-recap-part-2-hot-bullock-action-with-pizza-and-hookers/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2015/04/30/episode-68-c2e2-panel-recap-part-2-hot-bullock-action-with-pizza-and-hookers/#respondFri, 01 May 2015 03:32:37 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=10920We conclude our coverage of C2E2 2015 with a recap of the Caped Crusaders, Dynamic Duos and Darkest Knight panel (or just the Batman panel when it’s at home), featuring Batman writer Scott Snyder as moderator, with Batman Eternal writer James Tynion IV, Detective Comics writer Brian Buccallato, Gotham by Midnight writer Ray Fawkes, and the upcoming Robin: Son of Batman writer / artist Patrick Gleason.

So in this episode, we bring you a ton of audio clips of these guys (well, mostly Scott Snyder) talking about upcoming storylines in Detective Comics, Gotham by Midnight and Robin: Son of Batman… but at the time of this panel, we were only four days away from the conclusion of Batman: Endgame in the core Batman title, and only a week away from the debut of the new “RoboBunny” Batman in DC’s Free Comic Book Day offering, Divergence. So we feature a bunch of clips of Snyder and company talking about the new Batman, the process in creating him, the reasoning behind the new direction, and a few new tidbits about him that you might not have heard elsewhere, all from the mouths of the creators!

And, since Batman #40 has been released since this panel, we not only feature several clips of Snyder talking about what Batman: Endgame means to him, but we review and discuss the issue!

Thanks for listening to our C2E2 coverage. We return to our normal weekly schedule on Sunday, May 3rd, with an episode about Avengers: Age of Ultron, featuring a couple of very cool guests!

Thanks for listening, suckers!

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2015/04/30/episode-68-c2e2-panel-recap-part-2-hot-bullock-action-with-pizza-and-hookers/feed/0We conclude our coverage of C2E2 2015 with a recap of the Caped Crusaders, Dynamic Duos and Darkest Knight panel (or just the Batman panel when it’s at home), featuring Batman writer Scott Snyder as moderator,We conclude our coverage of C2E2 2015 with a recap of the Caped Crusaders, Dynamic Duos and Darkest Knight panel (or just the Batman panel when it’s at home), featuring Batman writer Scott Snyder as moderator, with Batman Eternal writer James Tynion IV, Detective Comics writer Brian Buccallato, Gotham by Midnight writer Ray Fawkes, and the […]Crisis On Infinite Midlivesyes1:35:3710920Episode 67: C2E2 Panel Recap, Part 1: Spider-Man GWARhttp://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2015/04/29/episode-67-c2e2-panel-recap-part-1-spider-man-gwar/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2015/04/29/episode-67-c2e2-panel-recap-part-1-spider-man-gwar/#respondThu, 30 Apr 2015 03:02:55 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=10918We’re a bit later than we originally intended, but proud to present the first part of our C2E2 2015 panel recaps. But these aren’t your normal panel rundowns; these are chock full of audio from the panels, including quotes direct from Dan Slott, Brian Azzarello, Jimmy Palmiotti, Amanda Conner, Charles Soule, and a bunch of other creators!

We start by going through the Secret Wars: Last Days panel from Marvel, where the panel talks about the Last Days miniseries leading to Secret Wars for characters like Ms. Marvel, Black Widow, Silver Surfer, Punisher, Ant-Man and the Inhumans. While there’s not a lot in the way of revelations in this panel, there are one or two really interesting new tidbits… as well as the name a of supervillain that, by the end of the episode, will haunt your nightmares.

We then recap the New DC Universe panel, where the post-Convergence storylines of books including Harley Quinn, Starfire, Bizarro and Catwoman, as well as some details about the upcoming We Are Robin, are laid out. This was the panel where Dark Knight 3: The Master Race was made, and we have that audio (and our opinions) as well.

We plan to tape and release our recap episode about the Batman panel (where Scott Snyder talks openly about the Bat-Bunny) tomorrow or Friday, so stay tuned!

Thanks for listening, suckers!

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2015/04/29/episode-67-c2e2-panel-recap-part-1-spider-man-gwar/feed/0We’re a bit later than we originally intended, but proud to present the first part of our C2E2 2015 panel recaps. But these aren’t your normal panel rundowns; these are chock full of audio from the panels, including quotes direct from Dan Slott,We’re a bit later than we originally intended, but proud to present the first part of our C2E2 2015 panel recaps. But these aren’t your normal panel rundowns; these are chock full of audio from the panels, including quotes direct from Dan Slott, Brian Azzarello, Jimmy Palmiotti, Amanda Conner, Charles Soule, and a bunch of […]Crisis On Infinite Midlivesyes1:39:0710918Recap In Our Asshttp://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2015/04/28/recap-in-our-ass/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2015/04/28/recap-in-our-ass/#respondWed, 29 Apr 2015 01:15:48 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=10915Well, we had good intentions.

Yesterday, I was able to pull good audio clips from two of the three panels we taped at C2E2, with the plan being that I would get up bright and early today to edit down audio from the Batman panel so Amanda and I could get home from our day jobs at a reasonable time and tape our final recap episode about the convention.

And I did get up bright and early. Only to notice that, thanks to contractors ripping out drywall in our garage to begin repairing the damage from the Hoth-ish winter here in Boston, our garage door opener was hanging perilously from tiny framing screws completely unfit for mounting a garage door opener. You know, hanging over my convertible. Which I was suddenly afraid to remove from the garage. Since that would require using the garage door opener. Hey, previous owners of the Crisis On Infinite Midlives Home Office: if you are mounting a heavy piece of equipment to a ceiling, and find that you don’t have the right screws? Go out and buy some fucking screws. And what kind of an asshole puts most of the load-bearing responsibility for a 40-pound motor on drywall? Someone who never went to college, that’s who. Otherwise, they’d know that drywall disintegrates when gently butted by a ten-pound drunken head.

But I digress.

The point is that events have conspired to make it impossible to tape our recap show tonight. But fear not: Out current plan is to release two recap shows:

A show running down the New DC Universe and Secret Wars: Last Days panels will be available tomorrow night, and

A recap of the Caped Crusaders, Dynamic Duos and Darkest Knights panel (otherwise known at the Batman panel) should be available Thursday.

Thanks for your patience, and sorry for the delay. Now: anyone know how much Elmer’s Glue it takes to remount a garage door opener?

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2015/04/28/recap-in-our-ass/feed/010915Episode 66: C2E2, Day 2: As English As Spotted D**khttp://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2015/04/26/episode-66-c2e2-day-2-as-english-as-spotted-dk/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2015/04/26/episode-66-c2e2-day-2-as-english-as-spotted-dk/#respondMon, 27 Apr 2015 02:30:38 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=10913We are back in Boston after attending day two of C2E2 2015, and let me tell you: Saturday at that convention is a very different experience than Friday. The crowds are much, much bigger, the cosplayers are everywhere (you can’t swing a dead cat without hitting a Deadpool… note to self: try to sell Deadpool’s Pet: Dead Cat idea to Marvel), and the drunken rubberneckers began to rear their ugly heads.

But there were also cool creators to meet, awesome purchases to make (unless the purchase you want to make is, completely by accident, related to a major Hollywood announcement, in which case you were all out of luck), and some solid panels to attend. So we talk a little bit about the C2E2 Saturday experience in general, the Secret Wars: Last Days and Batman panels specifically, and why a certain Chicago restaurant will never be visited again in unfortunate detail.

Again, this is just another brief recap show. We will publish a detailed recap of the convention, including a lot of panel audio, tomorrow or Tuesday.

Thanks for listening, suckers!

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2015/04/26/episode-66-c2e2-day-2-as-english-as-spotted-dk/feed/0We are back in Boston after attending day two of C2E2 2015, and let me tell you: Saturday at that convention is a very different experience than Friday. The crowds are much, much bigger, the cosplayers are everywhere (you can’t swing a dead cat without...We are back in Boston after attending day two of C2E2 2015, and let me tell you: Saturday at that convention is a very different experience than Friday. The crowds are much, much bigger, the cosplayers are everywhere (you can’t swing a dead cat without hitting a Deadpool… note to self: try to sell Deadpool’s […]Crisis On Infinite Midlivesyes55:1610913Episode 65: C2E2, Day 1: 86’ed At The Conventionhttp://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2015/04/25/episode-65-c2e2-day-1-86ed-at-the-convention/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2015/04/25/episode-65-c2e2-day-1-86ed-at-the-convention/#respondSat, 25 Apr 2015 15:31:54 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=10910We are in Chicago, attending and reporting from C2E2 after years of having San Diego Comic-Con be our main convention. The first day is concluded, and it is a very different experience from SDCC… starting with the fact that I’ve never eaten anything in San Diego that made me spend several hours shivering and vomiting on a marble bathroom floor.

As such, we don’t have as much day one news as we’d like, but we spend some time discussing how Friday at C2E2 is a day where you can actually walk the floor without having to stutter walk around people like you’re trying to avoid calling a sandworm. You can actually meet and interact with creators without having to elbow crowds out of the way (with some exceptions – hi, Scott Snyder and the 500 people waiting to meet you!), and still get some big comic news.

This is just a quick recap show covering the first day; we’ll have a second quick show to briefly cover Saturday going up on Sunday night, with a complete recap show, including panel audio, coming on Monday or Tuesday.

Thanks for listening, suckers!

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2015/04/25/episode-65-c2e2-day-1-86ed-at-the-convention/feed/0We are in Chicago, attending and reporting from C2E2 after years of having San Diego Comic-Con be our main convention. The first day is concluded, and it is a very different experience from SDCC… starting with the fact that I’ve never eaten anything in...We are in Chicago, attending and reporting from C2E2 after years of having San Diego Comic-Con be our main convention. The first day is concluded, and it is a very different experience from SDCC… starting with the fact that I’ve never eaten anything in San Diego that made me spend several hours shivering and vomiting […]Crisis On Infinite Midlivesyes31:2610910Episode 64: My Safe Word Is Phantom Menacehttp://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2015/04/19/episode-64-my-safe-word-is-phantom-menace/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2015/04/19/episode-64-my-safe-word-is-phantom-menace/#respondMon, 20 Apr 2015 02:30:20 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=10906The big genre news this week came in the form of about four minutes of film assembled by marketing departments: the second trailer for Star Wars: The Force Awakens (which debuted at a panel at Star Wars Celebration last week), and the first for Superman V. Batman: Dawn of Justice. So, like everyone else in fandom, we discuss them: the content, how they play with expectations by showing us glimpses of long-loved characters and / or story beats from classic comics, and how they really tell us nothing while promising us everything… and how that can drive one mad with useless speculation based on roughly 45 seconds of footage, combined with slightly more dialogue than a Vine video and some kickass music.

We also talk about our plans to cover next weekend’s C2E2 convention in Chicago, including our planned schedule for this show during and after the convention:

We will release a recap of Friday at the convention sometime on Saturday, 4/25,

We’ll release a recap of Saturday’s programming at our show’s normal time on Sunday, 4/26, and:

We’ll release a full recap, including panel audio, on either Monday, 4/27 or Tuesday 4/28.

Archie Vs. Predator #1, written by Alex De Campi with art by Fernando Ruiz!

And, the usual disclaimers:

We record this show live to tape. While this might mean a looser comics podcast than you are used to, it also means that anything can happen. Like arguing over whether Chewbacca has had plastic surgery done, and where he gets his hair colored and highlighted.

This show contains spoilers. While we try to shout out warnings ahead of time, assume that you will discover which members of the Riverdale Gang have had their spines removed.

This show contains adult, profane language, and is therefore not safe for work. You want your employer to hear which sexually transmitted diseases are most reminiscent of Midichlorians? Get some headphones.

Enjoy the show, suckers!

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2015/04/19/episode-64-my-safe-word-is-phantom-menace/feed/0The big genre news this week came in the form of about four minutes of film assembled by marketing departments: the second trailer for Star Wars: The Force Awakens (which debuted at a panel at Star Wars Celebration last week),The big genre news this week came in the form of about four minutes of film assembled by marketing departments: the second trailer for Star Wars: The Force Awakens (which debuted at a panel at Star Wars Celebration last week), and the first for Superman V. Batman: Dawn of Justice. So, like everyone else in […]Crisis On Infinite Midlivesyes1:52:0810906Episode 63: Sprayed With Genetic Ragehttp://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2015/04/12/episode-63-sprayed-with-genetic-rage/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2015/04/12/episode-63-sprayed-with-genetic-rage/#respondMon, 13 Apr 2015 02:30:34 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=10900Let’s be honest here: if you’re a comic book fan who’s connected enough to be listening to comic book podcasts, there’s a good chance that you have a subscription to streaming Netflix. And if you do, you probably spent this weekend the way we did: binge-watching Daredevil. And possibly binge-drinking Daredevil beer.

So we discuss the show, including the parallels between Kingpin’s and Daredevil’s character arcs, how effective the characterizations of other supporting characters were, and the general adult nature of the show (vis a vis violence and alcohol). We also talk about how the show stacks up against Mark Waid’s current comic book version of Matt Murdock, what we hope to see in the future from the show, and whether a certain relatively high-profile character’s unexpected death amounts to Suicide By Kingpin.

We also discuss:

Convergence: Nightwing and Oracle #1, written by Gail Simone with art by Jan Duursema, and:

The Walking Dead #140, written by Robert Kirkman with art by Charlie Adlard!

And now the disclaimers:

We record this show live to tape. While this might mean a looser comics podcast than you are used to, it also means that anything can happen. Like an impromptu pitch for Batman: I Punch Your Groin.

This show contains spoilers. This show especially contains spoilers for the Daredevil TV show. Like, we ruin the whole thing. Like, we air recordings taken of us watching the show, that include dialog of the show. So consider yourself warned.

This show contains adult, profane language, and is therefore not safe for work. For example, we talk about “Jerk Hawkman.” Only we don’t use the word “jerk.” So get some headphones.

Oh, and by the way: if you’re looking for that Web site that has transcripts of at least some of the episodes of Daredevil? Here you go. And that reference to Bullseye maybe being in the show? Here’s the source.

Enjoy the show, suckers!

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2015/04/12/episode-63-sprayed-with-genetic-rage/feed/0Let’s be honest here: if you’re a comic book fan who’s connected enough to be listening to comic book podcasts, there’s a good chance that you have a subscription to streaming Netflix. And if you do, you probably spent this weekend the way we did: bing...Let’s be honest here: if you’re a comic book fan who’s connected enough to be listening to comic book podcasts, there’s a good chance that you have a subscription to streaming Netflix. And if you do, you probably spent this weekend the way we did: binge-watching Daredevil. And possibly binge-drinking Daredevil beer. So we discuss […]Crisis On Infinite Midlivesyes2:08:4910900Episode 62: A Parasite On Brainiac’s Crotchhttp://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2015/04/05/episode-62-a-parasite-on-brainiacs-crotch/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2015/04/05/episode-62-a-parasite-on-brainiacs-crotch/#respondMon, 06 Apr 2015 02:30:39 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=10894This week, we are joined by Crisis On Infinite Midlives contributors Trebuchet and PixieStyx. And we discuss the last couple of episodes of CW’s The Flash, which featured the introduction of the effects of time travel in this corner of the DC Universe, as well as the return of Mark Hamill as The Trickster from the 1990 TV series about the character.

So we talk about how a show that, for some, is just a superhero soap opera featuring whiny 20-somethings in jobs they wouldn’t be qualified for until 2025 in real life, has very quickly become a byzantine story about multiple universes, branching timelines, character legacies, and the consequences of trying to alter your own history. And we present our theories about what’s to come in the future, ranging from the very DC idea of The Flash being a Doctor Who-style fixed point in time, to the idea that it might have been someone very different behind that red blur Barry Allen saw as a child.

We also talk about:

Doctor Who: The Ninth Doctor #1, written by Cavan Scott with art by Blair Shedd,

Convergence #0, written by Dan Jurgens and Jeff King, with art by Ethan Van Sciver, and:

No Mercy #1, written by Alex De Campi with art by Carla Speed McNeil!

And, as always, the disclaimers:

We record this show live to tape (although a few small edits were made to this week’s episode due to technical issues with our mobile recording studio). This means this might be a somewhat looser comics podcast than you are used to, but it also means that anything can happen. Like an adamant demand for scotch with extra cheese.

This show contains spoilers. While we try to shout out warnings ahead of time, just assume that we will ruin things for you. Like learning that the Ninth Doctor was in the Time War and is totally bummed about it.

This show contains adult, profane language, and is therefore not safe for work. Trust me, you do not want your employer to discover Trebuchet’s favorite strawberry dessert. Get some headphones.

Thanks for listening, suckers!

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2015/04/05/episode-62-a-parasite-on-brainiacs-crotch/feed/0This week, we are joined by Crisis On Infinite Midlives contributors Trebuchet and PixieStyx. And we discuss the last couple of episodes of CW’s The Flash, which featured the introduction of the effects of time travel in this corner of the DC Universe,...This week, we are joined by Crisis On Infinite Midlives contributors Trebuchet and PixieStyx. And we discuss the last couple of episodes of CW’s The Flash, which featured the introduction of the effects of time travel in this corner of the DC Universe, as well as the return of Mark Hamill as The Trickster from […]Crisis On Infinite Midlivesyes1:26:5210894Episode 61: With Princess Leia Muffins On The Sidehttp://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2015/03/29/episode-61-with-princess-leia-muffins-on-the-side/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2015/03/29/episode-61-with-princess-leia-muffins-on-the-side/#respondMon, 30 Mar 2015 02:30:25 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=10888It’s a somewhat truncated show this week, as Rob has been battling a bug for the past couple of days. However, The Show Must Go On, particularly when you do a show about superhero comics during a week when the first medically-created superpowers were discovered. Sure, they’re crappy superpowers, and they run the risk of making you see C’thulhu in every dark corner, but I guess you’ve gotta start somewhere.

More importantly, we wanted to announce that while we will not be covering this year’s San Diego Comic-Con, we will be covering The Chicago Comic And Entertainment Expo the last weekend in April! So in this episode we talk about why we chose to cover that particular convention, a preliminary schedule of podcast episodes we’ll be releasing during and after the con, some of the more interesting panels we want to take in and cover, and how C2E2’s guest roster and programming schedule remind us pretty strongly of SDCC as it was ten years ago.

We also discuss:

Darth Vader #3, written by Kieron Gillen with art by Salvador Larroca, and:

Miami Vice: Remix #1, written by Joe Casey with art by Jim Mahfood!

And now the disclaimers:

We record this show live to tape. While it might mean a looser comics podcast than you’re used to, it also means that anything can happen. Like finding out whether “pig slapping” means what Amanda thinks it means.

This show contains spoilers. While we try to shout out warnings ahead of time, be aware that we might ruin your knowledge of the current mental state of Lt. Martin Castillo (that state being “shaky.” See? Spoilers everywhere!).

This show contains adult, profane language, and is therefore not safe for work. Do you want your boss to know Rob’s definition of “pig slapping”? Of course not. Get some headphones.

Enjoy the show, suckers!

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2015/03/29/episode-61-with-princess-leia-muffins-on-the-side/feed/0It’s a somewhat truncated show this week, as Rob has been battling a bug for the past couple of days. However, The Show Must Go On, particularly when you do a show about superhero comics during a week when the first medically-created superpowers were d...It’s a somewhat truncated show this week, as Rob has been battling a bug for the past couple of days. However, The Show Must Go On, particularly when you do a show about superhero comics during a week when the first medically-created superpowers were discovered. Sure, they’re crappy superpowers, and they run the risk of […]Crisis On Infinite Midlivesyes1:23:0710888Episode 60: Fluffy Plus Mosquito Plus Time Equals Tragedyhttp://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2015/03/22/episode-60-fluffy-plus-mosquito-plus-time-equals-tragedy/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2015/03/22/episode-60-fluffy-plus-mosquito-plus-time-equals-tragedy/#respondMon, 23 Mar 2015 02:30:01 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=10883It has been, bar none, the crappiestweek in comics news in recent memory – when the high point of the week’s news is that Larry Wilmore hosted a nationally televised round table discussion on how comics aren’t diverse enough (bookended by nerds-in-basement gags), it’s probably best to just pretend the whole thing just didn’t happen.

So that’s what we pretend. Instead, we took the occasion of the release of IDW’s The Fly: Outbreak #1, written by Brandon Seifert with art by Menton3, as an excuse to revisit one of our favorite movie franchises. Sure, The Fly might seem like simple Cronenberg body horror, but if you take a few steps back, what you really have is, starting with the original short story, a series of classic tales of science gone wrong, with unintended circumstances that imbue someone with extraordinary abilities in the face of terrible tragedy. Sure, it’s presented as horror… but if Jack Kirby or Steve Ditko had drawn it, we’d be arguing over which actor should be playing Seth Brundle right now.

We also discuss:

The Amazing Spider-Man #16.1, written by Gerry Conway with art by Carlo Barberi, and:

Batgirl #40, written by Cameron Stewart and Brenden Fletcher, with art by Babs Tarr!

And now the disclaimers:

We record this show live to tape. While this might mean a looser comics podcast than you’re used to, it also means that anything can happen. Like a discussion over why real superheroines know to avoid a stack overflow error (and why that isn’t a reference to a wardrobe malfunction).

This show contains spoilers. While we try to shout out warnings ahead of time, be aware that we might ruin the ending of a 29-year-old horror movie (that’s based on a 57-year-old short story).

This show used adult, profane language, and is therefore not safe for work. You want your boss to know how many Godzilla wangs worth of snow we got this winter? Didn’t think so. Get some headphones.

Enjoy the show, suckers!

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2015/03/22/episode-60-fluffy-plus-mosquito-plus-time-equals-tragedy/feed/0It has been, bar none, the crappiest week in comics news in recent memory – when the high point of the week’s news is that Larry Wilmore hosted a nationally televised round table discussion on how comics aren’t diverse enough (bookended by nerds-in-bas...It has been, bar none, the crappiest week in comics news in recent memory – when the high point of the week’s news is that Larry Wilmore hosted a nationally televised round table discussion on how comics aren’t diverse enough (bookended by nerds-in-basement gags), it’s probably best to just pretend the whole thing just didn’t […]Crisis On Infinite Midlivesyes2:03:3610883Episode 59: The Adventures of Midget Gordonhttp://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2015/03/15/episode-59-the-adventures-of-midget-gordon/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2015/03/15/episode-59-the-adventures-of-midget-gordon/#respondMon, 16 Mar 2015 02:30:29 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=10877DC’s Convergence event is almost upon us, so news about the soft reboot is coming fast and furious. And this week, that news included pictures of new costumes destined to be worn by Superman, Wonder Woman and Batman. And there’s just something about a costume redesign that drives comics fans into screeching frenzies of either hate or excitement, isn’t there?

So we discuss not only the new costumes (and speculate on the circumstances that make them necessary), but superhero costume changes in general, including when they have and haven’t worked, and which ones have spun us up the most in our 40 years of reading comics (hi, Fall From Grace armored Daredevil!)

We also discuss:

Howard The Duck #1, written by Chip Zdarsky with art by Joe Quinones, and:

Southern Cross #1, written by Becky Cloonan and drawn by Andy Belanger!

And now the disclaimers:

We record this show live to tape. While this might mean a looser comics podcast than you are used to, it also means that anything can happen. Like learning the definition of “Batman’s Old Fashioned Texas Love Tubes.”

This show has a lot of spoilers. While we make an effort to shout out warnings ahead of time, be aware that we could ruin certain plot points. Like whether or not Howard is, in fact, a duck.

This show contains adult, profane language, and is therefore not safe for work. You want your employer to hear speculation about where Wi-Fi Barbie keeps her antenna? of course not. Get some headphones.

Enjoy the show, suckers!

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2015/03/15/episode-59-the-adventures-of-midget-gordon/feed/0DC’s Convergence event is almost upon us, so news about the soft reboot is coming fast and furious. And this week, that news included pictures of new costumes destined to be worn by Superman, Wonder Woman and Batman.DC’s Convergence event is almost upon us, so news about the soft reboot is coming fast and furious. And this week, that news included pictures of new costumes destined to be worn by Superman, Wonder Woman and Batman. And there’s just something about a costume redesign that drives comics fans into screeching frenzies of either […]Crisis On Infinite Midlivesyes1:46:5810877Episode 58: Go Eat Shawarma And Get Your Kumbayayas Outhttp://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2015/03/08/episode-58-go-eat-shawarma-and-get-your-kumbayayas-out/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2015/03/08/episode-58-go-eat-shawarma-and-get-your-kumbayayas-out/#respondMon, 09 Mar 2015 01:59:18 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=10872It’s been a packed week here at the Crisis On Infinite Midlives Home Office. We spent a lot of time watching, and rewatching, and re-rewatching the new trailer for Avengers: Age Of Ultron, and, like all good comic book enthusiasts, we spend a bunch of time dissecting what we saw, speculating on what we didn’t see, and ghostwriting what we’d like to see.

In addition, since we finally had our cable and Internet back online long enough for the Home Office TiVo to get the episodes of The Walking Dead that we missed, we binge-watched it and discussed what we liked, what we didn’t like, subtlety versus heavy-handedness, plot versus theme, and why it is more likely that AMC would kill Robert Kirkman this season than it is they would Daryl Dixon.

We also talk about:

All-New Hawkeye#1, written by Jeff Lemire with art by Ramon Perez, and:

Guardians Team Up #1, written by Brian Michael Bendis with art by Art Adams!

And now the disclaimers:

We record this show live to tape. While this might mean a looser comics podcast than you are used to, it also means that anything can happen. Like an argument over whether The Walking Dead is in dire need of a musical episode.

This show contains spoilers. While we try to shout out warnings ahead of time, be aware that we might ruin everything from the ending to last week’s The Walking Dead to the fact that Avengers: Age of Ultron is going to be rated PG-13.

This show contains adult, profane language, and is therefore not safe for work. You want your Mom to hear what we think about “sweet biscuits”? Get some headphones.

Enjoy the show, suckers!

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2015/03/08/episode-58-go-eat-shawarma-and-get-your-kumbayayas-out/feed/0It’s been a packed week here at the Crisis On Infinite Midlives Home Office. We spent a lot of time watching, and rewatching, and re-rewatching the new trailer for Avengers: Age Of Ultron, and, like all good comic book enthusiasts,It’s been a packed week here at the Crisis On Infinite Midlives Home Office. We spent a lot of time watching, and rewatching, and re-rewatching the new trailer for Avengers: Age Of Ultron, and, like all good comic book enthusiasts, we spend a bunch of time dissecting what we saw, speculating on what we didn’t […]Crisis On Infinite Midlivesyes2:09:1610872Episode 57: Toaster Babieshttp://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2015/03/01/episode-57-toaster-babies/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2015/03/01/episode-57-toaster-babies/#respondMon, 02 Mar 2015 03:28:03 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=10866This was a big week of classic genre movie news for we members of Generation X: it was announced that not only will District 9 director Neill Blomkamp be directing a new Alien movie with Sigourney Weaver’s involvement, but that it will take place around the story timeframe of Aliens, and that there’s a possibility that it will disregard the events of Alien 3 and Alien: Resurrection. You know, like most other Alien fans have been doing since 1992.

Further, Ridley Scott announced that he will be producing a sequel to Blade Runner, to be directed by Prisoners director Denis Villeneuve, and including Harrison Ford, who loved his experience making the original so much that he refused to talk about it for decades.

So Amanda and I discuss whether or not it’s a good idea for these actors to try to return to franchises they left behind 18 and 33 years ago respectively… but more importantly, whether either of these franchises even need a sequel or reboot, and what kind of stories set in these universes would be most exciting for we old school fans to see. And, ultimately, whether or not it is possible to ignore the Aliens Vs. Predators movies enough.

We also talk about:

The recently released Power Rangers fan film starring James Van Der Beek and Katie Sackhoff (and why it reminds us of Alan Moore),

Spider-Gwen #1, written by Jason Latour with art by Bobbi Rodriguez, and:

Batman #39, written by Scott Snyder with art by Greg Capullo!

And now the disclaimers:

This show is recorded live to tape. While this might mean a looser comics podcast than you’re used to, it also means that anything can happen. Like the speculation that Harrison Ford’s copy of the Blade Runner 2 script read: “We’ll pay you 30 million dollars.”

This show contains spoilers. While we try to shout out warnings ahead of time, be aware that a spoiler could come at any time. Like the revelation that Alien: Resurrection is truly horrible.

This show contains profane, adult language and is therefore not safe for work. Your boss doesn’t want to hear about how we want to slap around “Sigourney Weaver’s bald convict”, so get some headphones.

Enjoy the show, suckers!

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2015/03/01/episode-57-toaster-babies/feed/0This was a big week of classic genre movie news for we members of Generation X: it was announced that not only will District 9 director Neill Blomkamp be directing a new Alien movie with Sigourney Weaver’s involvement,This was a big week of classic genre movie news for we members of Generation X: it was announced that not only will District 9 director Neill Blomkamp be directing a new Alien movie with Sigourney Weaver’s involvement, but that it will take place around the story timeframe of Aliens, and that there’s a possibility that […]Crisis On Infinite Midlivesyes1:57:1410866Episode 56: SDCC 2015 – Joyless Blue Glory Holehttp://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2015/02/22/episode-56-sdcc-2015-joyless-blue-glory-hole/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2015/02/22/episode-56-sdcc-2015-joyless-blue-glory-hole/#respondMon, 23 Feb 2015 03:30:32 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=10863It has been another apocalyptic week at the Crisis On Infinite Midlives Home Office. Continued terrible weather in Boston has led to water pouring into our walls, eliminating our Internet connectivity and therefore our access to any kind of comics news. In fact, this episode is being published thanks to the free Wi-Fi at our local bar, which is the only reason we are here. Yup. No uncontrollable drinking problem here! You don’t know us! You think you’re better than us?

Ahem.

So without much in the way of comics news, we spend this episode talking about what we know. And this week, what we know is trying to register for San Diego Comic-Con 2015. So we discuss the process, what we like, what we don’t, and how it has evolved over the years.

And here’s a little appeal: since it looks like we might not be able to attend SDCC in July, we’re looking for another regional convention we might take a crack at covering. So if you have a favorite convention that takes place over the summer that you think we should cover, let us know at crisisoninfinitemidlives at gmail dot com!

We also discuss:

Moon Knight #12, written by Brian Wood with art by Greg Smallwood, and:

Justice League #39, written by Geoff Johns with art by Jason Fabok!

And now, the legalese:

We record this show live to tape. While this might mean it’s a looser comics podcast than you might be used to, it also means that anything can happen. Like a discussion about how Amazo would lose to Captain Underpants.

This show contains spoilers. While we try to shout warnings ahead of time, be aware that we might ruin plot point or two.

This show contains adult, profane language, and is therefore not safe for work. You want your boss to hear about the frustrations about a swirling blue hole? Didn’t think so. Get some headphones.

Enjoy the show, suckers!

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2015/02/22/episode-56-sdcc-2015-joyless-blue-glory-hole/feed/0It has been another apocalyptic week at the Crisis On Infinite Midlives Home Office. Continued terrible weather in Boston has led to water pouring into our walls, eliminating our Internet connectivity and therefore our access to any kind of comics news...It has been another apocalyptic week at the Crisis On Infinite Midlives Home Office. Continued terrible weather in Boston has led to water pouring into our walls, eliminating our Internet connectivity and therefore our access to any kind of comics news. In fact, this episode is being published thanks to the free Wi-Fi at our […]Crisis On Infinite Midlivesyes1:25:0610863Episode 55: Tertiary Midichlorianshttp://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2015/02/15/episode-55-tertiary-midichlorians/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2015/02/15/episode-55-tertiary-midichlorians/#respondMon, 16 Feb 2015 03:30:45 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=10858Since we in Boston are staring down the barrel of another blizzard, we decided to get out of the Home Office while we could to catch a movie: Kingsman: The Secret Service, the new movie based on Mark Millar’s and Dave Gibbons’s 2012 comic The Secret Service.

While Rob in particular didn’t likeThe Secret Service as it was being released in comic form, we took the movie as an opportunity to reread the original series as a complete work, and we talk about some plot and thematic differences between the comic and movie, as well as what worked about the movie… and what didn’t work. (Important safety tip: if Samuel L. Jackson tells you, with a lisp, that in order to save the world he needs to put an explosive chip in your neck? Call your lawyer and tell him to ask Sam for his business plan first.)

Southern Bastards #7, written by Jason Aaron with art by Jason Latour!

And now the usual disclaimers:

We record this show live to tape. While that might mean a looser comics podcast than you might be used to, it also means that anything can happen. Like the discovery that many English foods sound like euphemisms for perverse locker room hazing (hi, Toad In The Hole!).

The show contains spoilers. While we try to shout out warnings ahead of time, if you intend to see Kingsman: The Secret Service, you should consider yourself warned.

This show contains adult, profane language, and is therefore not safe for work. Do you want to explain to your boss why chugging a Toad In The Hole isn’t a matter for the police? Get some headphones.

Enjoy the show, suckers!

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2015/02/15/episode-55-tertiary-midichlorians/feed/0Since we in Boston are staring down the barrel of another blizzard, we decided to get out of the Home Office while we could to catch a movie: Kingsman: The Secret Service, the new movie based on Mark Millar’s and Dave Gibbons’s 2012 comic The Secret Se...Since we in Boston are staring down the barrel of another blizzard, we decided to get out of the Home Office while we could to catch a movie: Kingsman: The Secret Service, the new movie based on Mark Millar’s and Dave Gibbons’s 2012 comic The Secret Service. While Rob in particular didn’t like The Secret […]Crisis On Infinite Midlivesyes1:41:3710858Episode 54: It Pipes Dingleshttp://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2015/02/08/episode-54-it-pipes-dingles/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2015/02/08/episode-54-it-pipes-dingles/#respondMon, 09 Feb 2015 03:30:00 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=10852After another week of snow in Boston, we are half-insane from seeing the same four walls, but we have braved rolling blizzards, loud workmen and sporadic Internet outages to bring you a discussion about DC’s new publishing strategy!

It’s not quite a reboot, and it’s not quite an Implosion, but it seems like an attempt to step back from three years of tightly-enforced continuity, to roll back a few missteps introduced in the 2011 reboot (Hi, Starfire!), and to welcome new readers of demographics other than middle-aged white people. However, considering we are both middle-aged white people, this move means different things to each of us, so we try to hash out how we feel about the idea.

We also discuss:

Miracleman #15, written by Alan Moore (we’ll call you “The Original Writer” once your check clears, Alan) with art by John Totleben, and:

The Goon: Once Upon A Hard Time #1, written and drawn by Eric Powell!

And now the disclaimers:

We record this show love to tape. While this might mean a looser comics podcast than you are used to, it also mean that anything can happen. Like an intense discussion about scotch that has been sent into space.

This show contains spoilers. While we try to shout out warnings ahead of time, be aware that at the very least, we will be spoiling a story that was originally published in 1988 (and seriously, you should buy and read Miracleman #15).

This show contains profane, explicit language, and is therefore not safe for work. Blame it on the Space Scotch and cabin fever if you must, but get some headphones.

Enjoy the show, suckers!

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2015/02/08/episode-54-it-pipes-dingles/feed/0After another week of snow in Boston, we are half-insane from seeing the same four walls, but we have braved rolling blizzards, loud workmen and sporadic Internet outages to bring you a discussion about DC’s new publishing strategy!After another week of snow in Boston, we are half-insane from seeing the same four walls, but we have braved rolling blizzards, loud workmen and sporadic Internet outages to bring you a discussion about DC’s new publishing strategy! It’s not quite a reboot, and it’s not quite an Implosion, but it seems like an attempt […]Crisis On Infinite Midlivesyes1:41:5210852Episode 53: Ghostblasters!http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2015/02/01/episode-53-ghostblasters/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2015/02/01/episode-53-ghostblasters/#respondMon, 02 Feb 2015 03:30:20 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=10845We here at Crisis On Infinite Midlives live in Boston, and it is the week of a large football contest (so we are told). So we decided to spend this episode talking about an organization and its members who were recently accused of malfeasance, dirty tricks in the face of their fans, and a general betrayal of the public trust.

That organization is, of course, the Ghostbusters.

This week, Ghostbusters director Paul Feig announced his intended casting for the franchise reboot, and the Internet exploded. And not in a good way. So we discuss our feelings and opinions about this reboot, how it works with our feelings toward a franchise that literally changed one of our lives, and why it is arguably the best possible solution for continuing the property. We also talk about how this announcement affected our feelings toward the other recently-publicized reboot: Marvel’s Secret Wars.

We also talk about:

Batman #38, written by Scott Snyder with art by Greg Capullo, and:

Quantum And Woody Must Die #1, written by James Asmus with art by Steve Lieber!

And now the legalese:

We record this show live to tape. While this might mean a looser comics podcast than you are used to, it also means that anything can happen. Like whether Barbie Princess Power’s super ability has to do with Ken’s genitals.

This show contains spoilers. While we try to shout out warnings ahead of time, assume that you will learn that Barbie Princess Power’s super ability has to do with Ken’s genitals.

This show contains profane, explicit language, and is therefore not safe for work. You want your boss hearing this much about Ken’s genitals? Didn’t think so. Get some headphones.

Enjoy the show, suckers!

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2015/02/01/episode-53-ghostblasters/feed/0We here at Crisis On Infinite Midlives live in Boston, and it is the week of a large football contest (so we are told). So we decided to spend this episode talking about an organization and its members who were recently accused of malfeasance,We here at Crisis On Infinite Midlives live in Boston, and it is the week of a large football contest (so we are told). So we decided to spend this episode talking about an organization and its members who were recently accused of malfeasance, dirty tricks in the face of their fans, and a general […]Crisis On Infinite Midlivesyes1:44:1310845Episode 52: The Mullet Apocalypsehttp://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2015/01/25/episode-52-the-mullet-apocalypse/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2015/01/25/episode-52-the-mullet-apocalypse/#respondMon, 26 Jan 2015 03:30:49 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=10841It’s been three months since Marvel announced the Secret Wars crossover event, and since then, speculation has been flying about what it meant for the Marvel Universe: would it be a reboot, or just an event allowing Marvel characters from all their various universes to punch on each other for a few months?

Well, Marvel’s Senior Vice President and Executive Editor Tom Brevoort and Editor-In-Chief Axel Alonso did a press conference about Secret Wars this week, and it turns out the answer is: both!

So this week, we spend a lot of time poring over audio from that press conference, first trying to figure out if this reboot was planned before or after Alonso famously denied that Marvel was planning a reboot. We also discuss whether and what we’ll miss from the Ultimate Universe, what we want to see written out of Marvel continuity, and what we think is absolutely sacrosanct. Further, when it comes to Secret Wars itself, we talk about Battleworld, what battles we want to see between characters and universes, and ultimately, whether or not we’re excited by the idea of a Crisis On Infinite Earths-style reboot of Stan and Jack’s Marvel Universe.

We also discuss:

The Amazing Spider-Man #13, written by Dan Slott with art by Giuseppe Camuncoli, and:

Powers #1, written by Brian Michael Bendis with art by Michael Avon Oeming!

And now, the disclaimers:

We record this show live to tape. While this might mean this is a looser comics podcast than you might be used to, it also means that anything can happen. Like discussions over whether we want to start a Kickstarter to fund the purchase of a Crisis On Infinite Midlives Kill-Bot.

This show contains spoilers. While we try to shout out warnings ahead of time, just assume that we’ve ruined the end of Spider-Verse for you.

This show contains adult, profane language, and therefore is not safe for work. Unless you want your employer finding out what body part we want to use to trigger the machines guns on our Kill-Bot, get some headphones.

Enjoy the show, suckers!

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2015/01/25/episode-52-the-mullet-apocalypse/feed/0It’s been three months since Marvel announced the Secret Wars crossover event, and since then, speculation has been flying about what it meant for the Marvel Universe: would it be a reboot, or just an event allowing Marvel characters from all their var...It’s been three months since Marvel announced the Secret Wars crossover event, and since then, speculation has been flying about what it meant for the Marvel Universe: would it be a reboot, or just an event allowing Marvel characters from all their various universes to punch on each other for a few months? Well, Marvel’s […]Crisis On Infinite Midlivesyes2:00:5410841Episode 51: Clown Merkinhttp://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2015/01/18/episode-51-clown-merkin/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2015/01/18/episode-51-clown-merkin/#commentsMon, 19 Jan 2015 03:30:19 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=10832Picture, if you will, a comic book about a world where old gods hide in the shadows. They have amassed monetary wealth and earthly power, and they plan to use it to force humanity to worship them again… by fomenting Armageddon on Earth, and then saving the last surviving dregs of humanity, who will worship the Old Ones while envying the dead. A world where the only one who can save us is a simple nun. Oh, yeah: and Jesus. Who rides a Harley. And carries a machine gun. And enjoys the use of stimulants and prostitutes. Oh, and I forgot: Satan’s there, too. And he and Jesus have a history. In the Sam and Diane, Ross and Rachel sense of the word.

Nick and Daniel spent a little time with us to talk about the book, its origins, how they came to collaborate on the book, how it found a home at Action Lab, and what you can expect from this story of Jesus and Satan against the old gods (hint: there are no helicopters). We also extensively discuss the use of specialty hairpieces in the pursuit of comics work. It’s a damn fun interview.

In addition, Amanda and I talk about:

Dan DiDio’s ongoing series of Facebook posts recapping his 13-year history at DC Comics,

Star Wars #1, written by Jason Aaron with art by John Cassaday, and:

Constantine #21, written by Ray Fawkes with art by Jeremy Haun!

And the obligatory disclaimers:

We record this show live to tape (although we recorded our interview with Nick and Daniel separately, and then cut it into the remainder of the show). As such, it might be a little looser than other comics podcasts you are used to, but it also means that anything can happen. Like a detailed description of Zeus’s man-nipples.

This show contains spoilers. While we try to shout warnings ahead of time, just assume we’re going to ruin every ending you ever cared about.

This show contains adult, profane languange, and is therefore not safe for work. We interview guys who created a book called Holy F*ck, guys; unless you want your boss to hear a discussion about Jesus’s and Satan’s special relationship, get some headphones.

A few other things we want to point out:

Nick and Daniel did a few short comics about what Jesus has been up to between Good Friday and Holy F*ck, if you want to get a taste of the book:

While we were talking, Nick put together and sent us a drawing that is relevant to our discussion, the comic and the title of this show:

Enjoy the show, suckers!

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2015/01/18/episode-51-clown-merkin/feed/2Picture, if you will, a comic book about a world where old gods hide in the shadows. They have amassed monetary wealth and earthly power, and they plan to use it to force humanity to worship them again… by fomenting Armageddon on Earth,Picture, if you will, a comic book about a world where old gods hide in the shadows. They have amassed monetary wealth and earthly power, and they plan to use it to force humanity to worship them again… by fomenting Armageddon on Earth, and then saving the last surviving dregs of humanity, who will worship […]Crisis On Infinite Midlivesyes1:55:1010832Episode 50: How Peggy Carter Got Her Groove Backhttp://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2015/01/11/episode-50-how-peggy-carter-got-her-groove-back/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2015/01/11/episode-50-how-peggy-carter-got-her-groove-back/#respondMon, 12 Jan 2015 03:30:09 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=10827It was a big week for Marvel’s Cinematic Universe this week, as the first two episodes of the limited series Agent Carter debuted on Tuesday. So we spend some time talking about that episode, its themes of sexism, how its mid-40s setting is a blessing and an opportunity, and how an obscure comic from 1942 might hold some secrets about the series.

Agent Carter also featured the debut of the first teaser trailer for Marvel’s Ant-Man movie. We’ve made no secret that we’re looking far less forward to this movie now that Edgar Wright is no longer directing, so we talk about whether this trailer changes our mind at all. Short answer: watch the trailer with no audio, and see if it doesn’t look like a prison flick with Paul Rudd as a convicted child predator and Michael Douglas as his lovesick warden.

We also discuss:

Ant-Man #1, written by Nick Spencer with art by Ramon Rosanas, and:

The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl #1, written by Ryan North with art by Erica Henderson!

And now the legalese:

We record this show live to tape. While this might mean a looser show than you are used to from most comics podcasts, it also means that anything can happen. Like the definition of “Cream of Swede.” It’s not what you think! It’s far more disgusting!

This show contains spoilers. While we try to shout warnings ahead of time, just assume that we will ruin everything you care about.

This show contains adult, profane language, and is therefore not safe for work. I refer you again to the phrase “Cream of Swede.” You’re gonna want some headphones.

Enjoy the show, suckers!

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2015/01/11/episode-50-how-peggy-carter-got-her-groove-back/feed/0It was a big week for Marvel’s Cinematic Universe this week, as the first two episodes of the limited series Agent Carter debuted on Tuesday. So we spend some time talking about that episode, its themes of sexism,It was a big week for Marvel’s Cinematic Universe this week, as the first two episodes of the limited series Agent Carter debuted on Tuesday. So we spend some time talking about that episode, its themes of sexism, how its mid-40s setting is a blessing and an opportunity, and how an obscure comic from 1942 […]Crisis On Infinite Midlivesyes1:42:3310827Episode 49: Wookie Shoe Pornhttp://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2015/01/04/episode-49-wookie-shoe-porn/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2015/01/04/episode-49-wookie-shoe-porn/#respondMon, 05 Jan 2015 03:37:40 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=10822It’s the first episode of 2015! In a week where there’s no comics news since everyone in comics is on vacation, and there were almost no new comics for exactly the same reason! Which means most comics podcasts and news sites are doing their Best Of / Worst Of lists this week… while we did ours last week. Clearly we don’t plan well.

So this week, we decided to look back to a couple of events from 2014 that we haven’t previously talked about in a lot of detail:

And while it was a light week for comics, there were a couple of big, highly-anticipated issues. So we discuss:

All-New Miracleman Annual #1, written by Grant Morrison and Peter Milligan, with art by Joe Quesada and Mike Allred, and:

S.H.I.E.L.D. #1, based on the TV show Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., written by Mark Waid and drawn by Carlos Pacheco!

And now the legalese:

We record this show live to tape. While this might mean a looser comics podcast than you are used it, it also means that anything can happen. Like the definition of a Face Dream Herpe.

This show contains spoilers. While we try to shout out warnings ahead of time, just assume that you will be told the villain of 1988’s Miracleman #15. 27 years is enough of a cushion.

We use adult, profane language, so therefore this show is not safe for work. This week’s title is “Wookie Shoe Porn,” for God’s sake. We shouldn’t need to warn you to get some headphones.

Enjoy the show, suckers!

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2015/01/04/episode-49-wookie-shoe-porn/feed/0It’s the first episode of 2015! In a week where there’s no comics news since everyone in comics is on vacation, and there were almost no new comics for exactly the same reason! Which means most comics podcasts and news sites are doing their Best Of / W...It’s the first episode of 2015! In a week where there’s no comics news since everyone in comics is on vacation, and there were almost no new comics for exactly the same reason! Which means most comics podcasts and news sites are doing their Best Of / Worst Of lists this week… while we did […]Crisis On Infinite Midlivesyes1:56:0010822Episode 48: Moffat! The 2014 Crises Awardshttp://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2014/12/28/episode-48-moffat-the-2014-crises-awards/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2014/12/28/episode-48-moffat-the-2014-crises-awards/#respondMon, 29 Dec 2014 03:30:40 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=10817It is the final show of 2014: a year packed to the gills with comic books, crossover events, story arcs, and comic and genre movies and TV shows. Some were good, and others were, well, not.

So Amanda and I, along with longtime Crisis On Infinite Midlives contributors Trebuchet and Pixiestyx, decided to throw a little awards ceremony, to celebrate 2014’s very best and very worst of the genre we love so much. And it is truly the finest and classiest awards ceremony that one can produce with a budget of $15 for stock sound effects and a free virtual disc jockey’s cart deck!

In this episode, we award (or at least argue about):

Best and Worst Comic Book or Genre Movie,

Best and Worst Comic Book or Genre TV show,

Best and Worst Single Comic Issue,

Best and Worst Comic Event or Crossover,

Best and Worst Story Arc or Graphic Novel,

Biggest Comeback and Worst Decline, and:

Most Anticipated and Most Dreaded Geek Events in 2015!

And, as always, the disclaimers:

This show is recorded live to tape. While this might mean a looser comics podcast that you are used to, it also means that anything can happen. Like and award for “The Carlie:” the member of The Walking Dead ensemble most likely to wander off alone to be menaced by zombies for no good reason.

This show contains spoilers. Like the winner of The Carlie.

This show contains adult, profane language, and therefore is not safe for work. Unless you want your employer to learn about the erotic benefits of instant vengeance, consider getting some headphones.

Enjoy the show, suckers!

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2014/12/28/episode-48-moffat-the-2014-crises-awards/feed/0It is the final show of 2014: a year packed to the gills with comic books, crossover events, story arcs, and comic and genre movies and TV shows. Some were good, and others were, well, not. So Amanda and I,It is the final show of 2014: a year packed to the gills with comic books, crossover events, story arcs, and comic and genre movies and TV shows. Some were good, and others were, well, not. So Amanda and I, along with longtime Crisis On Infinite Midlives contributors Trebuchet and Pixiestyx, decided to throw a […]Crisis On Infinite Midlivesyes1:56:4910817Episode 47: I Shall Become A Fruit Bathttp://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2014/12/21/episode-47-i-shall-become-a-fruit-bat/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2014/12/21/episode-47-i-shall-become-a-fruit-bat/#respondMon, 22 Dec 2014 03:30:49 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=10812It’s the week before Christmas, and all through the house, not a creature was stirring… including anyone who might generate much in the way of comics news.

However! DC sneaked a bunch of cancellations into their March solicitations, including a few books that have been around since the start of the New 52. And since it is a slow news week, and since March is the last month before the Convergence event brings all of DC’s eras into the spotlight, and since we are comic geeks who like to speculate, we take the opportunity to review the cancellations and talk about what DC might have in mind post-Convergence.

And since Christmas is right around the corner, we take the opportunity to reminisce about the geek and genre-related toys that we were given as children back in the 70s and the 80s. We hit some of the biggies, like Maskatron, the Millennium Falcon playset, Energized Spider-Man, Magnetic Batman and Robin… and in Amanda’s case, everything a child might need for a life on the Hobo Trail.

And finally, we discuss:

Justice League #37, written by Geoff Johns with art by Jason Fabok, and:

Batman #37, written by Scott Snyder with art by Greg Capullo!

And the disclaimers:

We record this show live to tape. While that mean a looser show than you are used to from other comics podcasts, it also means that anything can happen. Like an unexpected reminiscence about a shattered childhood.

This show contains spoilers. While we try to shout a warning ahead of time, proceed with caution.

This show contains adult, explicit language, and is therefore not safe for work. However, there’s every chance you’re on vacation for Christmas this week, and if not, maybe Santa will bring you a new set of headphones.

Enjoy the show, suckers!

Oh, and here’s that sweet, sweet Rob Liefeld jeans ad from the early 90s:

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2014/12/21/episode-47-i-shall-become-a-fruit-bat/feed/0It’s the week before Christmas, and all through the house, not a creature was stirring… including anyone who might generate much in the way of comics news. However! DC sneaked a bunch of cancellations into their March solicitations,It’s the week before Christmas, and all through the house, not a creature was stirring… including anyone who might generate much in the way of comics news. However! DC sneaked a bunch of cancellations into their March solicitations, including a few books that have been around since the start of the New 52. And since […]Crisis On Infinite Midlivesyes1:58:1910812Episode 46: Tickle-Me-Princess Elsahttp://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2014/12/14/episode-46-tickle-me-princess-elsa/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2014/12/14/episode-46-tickle-me-princess-elsa/#respondMon, 15 Dec 2014 03:30:08 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=10806Even though a big night out last night turned us into shattered wrecks only resembling human beings, we still had a lot to talk about this episode… starting with Marvel’s Star Wars #1, which reportedly will be selling more than 1,000,000 copies… even though Dark Horse’s very similar 2013-2014 Star Wars comic never sold even 50,000 copies in a month. So we try to figure out just where all these comic books are going. You know, besides the quarter bin.

We also talk about the information gleaned from the Sony Pictures leak that Sony has been in talks with Marvel Studios about bring Spider-Man into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. We discuss where Marvel might fit Spidey in quickly, where he just wouldn’t work, what storylines they might use in a standalone Spider-Man movie, and who should play him (hint: with the Russo Brothers from Community possibly directing Avengers: Infinity War, it can only be… Chevy Chase! Wait, what?).

Afterlife With Archie #7, written by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa with art by Francesco Francavilla!

And, as usual, the disclaimers:

We record this show live to tape. While this might mean a looser comics podcast than you are used to, it also means that anything can happen. Like a discussion about the fine line between a Disney toy and a marital aid.

We use a lot of spoilers in this show. While we try to shout out a heads-up ahead of time, consider yourself warned.

This show contains adult, profane language, and is therefore not safe for work. Unless you want to explain to your employers who Sgt. Douchenozzle is, get yourself some headphones.

Enjoy the show, suckers!

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2014/12/14/episode-46-tickle-me-princess-elsa/feed/0Even though a big night out last night turned us into shattered wrecks only resembling human beings, we still had a lot to talk about this episode… starting with Marvel’s Star Wars #1, which reportedly will be selling more than 1,000,Even though a big night out last night turned us into shattered wrecks only resembling human beings, we still had a lot to talk about this episode… starting with Marvel’s Star Wars #1, which reportedly will be selling more than 1,000,000 copies… even though Dark Horse’s very similar 2013-2014 Star Wars comic never sold even […]Crisis On Infinite Midlivesyes1:39:3410806Episode 45: Captain Lawn Darthttp://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2014/12/07/episode-45-captain-lawn-dart/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2014/12/07/episode-45-captain-lawn-dart/#respondMon, 08 Dec 2014 03:45:09 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=10800It’s a jam-packed episode this week! We start off by briefly discussing the recent Internet kerfuffles over (some) creators vs. cosplayers at comic conventions, and the complaints that Marc Andreyko’s current storyline in Batwomandepicts the practical rape of protagonist Kathy Kane.

But then we move on to lighter topics. Specifically, this week’s crossover between The Flash and Arrow on their respective television shows. We talk about what worked, what was fun (God help us, that includes the Man Who Will Be Vibe), and what didn’t (Hi, Iris West!).

Then we move to week four of DC’s Convergence storyline, comprising mostly pre-Crisis On Infinite Earths alternate universe characters and teams. Meaning that these are stories that will appeal mostly to elderly readers. And Geoff Johns!

And finally, we discuss:

Crossed One Hundred #1, written by Alan Moore with art by Gabriel Andrade, and:

Escape From New York #1, written by Christopher Sebela with art by Diego Barreto!

And now the legalese:

We record this show live to tape. While this might mean a looser comics podcast than you are normally accustomed to, it also means that anything can happen. Like the classification of Iris West as a common “cape climber.”

This show contains spoilers.

This show contains adult, profane language, and is therefore not safe for work. So unless you want your boss to know that you’re listening to programming about a “Disco Epilepsy Ray,” get some headphones.

Enjoy the show, suckers!

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2014/12/07/episode-45-captain-lawn-dart/feed/0It’s a jam-packed episode this week! We start off by briefly discussing the recent Internet kerfuffles over (some) creators vs. cosplayers at comic conventions, and the complaints that Marc Andreyko’s current storyline in Batwoman depicts the practical...It’s a jam-packed episode this week! We start off by briefly discussing the recent Internet kerfuffles over (some) creators vs. cosplayers at comic conventions, and the complaints that Marc Andreyko’s current storyline in Batwoman depicts the practical rape of protagonist Kathy Kane. But then we move on to lighter topics. Specifically, this week’s crossover between […]Crisis On Infinite Midlivesyes2:01:1710800Episode 44: Jedi Montessori Academy For The Bacterially Challengedhttp://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2014/11/30/episode-44-jedi-montessori-academy-for-the-bacterially-challenged/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2014/11/30/episode-44-jedi-montessori-academy-for-the-bacterially-challenged/#respondMon, 01 Dec 2014 03:30:28 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=10794The first Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens teaser trailer dropped on Friday. It’s 88 seconds long, it features less than half of that in new footage, it gives us almost no story context… and it’s enough to get the geek world shrieking like teenagers at a One Direction concert.

So we talk about the trailer: why it was so effective, the smart choices director J. J. Abrams made to turn Generation X’ers all giddy like, well, teenagers at a One Direction concert, and how 88 seconds was all it took to change our opinions about the upcoming movie from ambivalence to legitimate anticipation.

We also discuss the solicits for week three of DC’s Convergence event. This round, which drops on April 22nd, seems to feature versions of DC heroes from before Crisis On Infinite Earths, with antagonists from the Tangent Universe. So sit back, relax, and hear about a week designed to somehow simultaneously appeal to 50-year-olds and Millennials!

We also talk about:

Gotham By Midnight #1, written by Ray Fawkes with art by Ben Templesmith, and:

Spider-Man 2099 #6, written by Peter David with art by Will Sliney!

And now the disclaimers:

We record this show live to tape. While this might mean a looser comics than you might be used to, it also means anything can happen. Like comparing Teen Titan Jericho to a specific form of intestinal distress.

This show contains spoilers. While we try to shout warnings ahead of time, consider this your master caution alarm.

This show contains adult, profane language, and is therefore not safe for work. Don’t be a filthy Jericho; get yourself some headphones.

Enjoy the show, suckers!

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2014/11/30/episode-44-jedi-montessori-academy-for-the-bacterially-challenged/feed/0The first Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens teaser trailer dropped on Friday. It’s 88 seconds long, it features less than half of that in new footage, it gives us almost no story context… and it’s enough to get the geek world shrieking like teen...The first Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens teaser trailer dropped on Friday. It’s 88 seconds long, it features less than half of that in new footage, it gives us almost no story context… and it’s enough to get the geek world shrieking like teenagers at a One Direction concert. So we talk about […]Crisis On Infinite Midlivesyes1:50:3810794Episode 43: Aquaman. In The Dome. With A Swiffer.http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2014/11/23/episode-43-aquaman-in-the-dome-with-a-swiffer/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2014/11/23/episode-43-aquaman-in-the-dome-with-a-swiffer/#respondMon, 24 Nov 2014 03:30:34 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=10788The world of comics is big, complex, and sometimes even literary… and we are not. So we open this show talking about the return of Underoos. Which might sound frivolous, but when you consider that those underwear packs were the only place we middle-aged geeks could get a decent superhero t-shirt in the late 70s, it means something to us.

In addition, we also talk about the radical change in Batgirl to appeal to younger readers, we talk about whether that re-imagining of the character was the right way to go, and what other efforts the Big Two publishers might use to attract readers who aren’t middle-aged white guys with massive disposable incomes. We cover reboots like Batgirl’s, new characters in old costumes like Ms. Marvel, and the good old days, when Avengers and Justice League were places where new and B-List characters could get a fair shake at building a fanbase that could maybe carry a solo title for them.

We also go over the recently announced week two books of DC’s Convergence event, speculate on which titles seem most likely to hold hints about the permanence of this event, and again despair why some creators are on books that don’t seem like the best possible fit (why is Keith Giffen not writing Justice League International, for the love of God?).

This show is recorded live to tape (There is one edit in this week’s episode to cover when I nearly revealed my secret identity). While this might mean a looser show than other comics podcasts, it also means that anything can happen. Like mangling the name of a classic comic to make it sound like Green Arrow is a gentleman of leisure who favors baseball bats.

This show contains spoilers. While we try to yell out warnings ahead of time, be aware that they can come at any time.

We use adult, profane language, and therefore this show is not safe for work. Unless you, like Green Arrow, are a gentleman of leisure, consider wearing headphones.

Thanks for listening, suckers!

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2014/11/23/episode-43-aquaman-in-the-dome-with-a-swiffer/feed/0The world of comics is big, complex, and sometimes even literary… and we are not. So we open this show talking about the return of Underoos. Which might sound frivolous, but when you consider that those underwear packs were the only place we middle-age...The world of comics is big, complex, and sometimes even literary… and we are not. So we open this show talking about the return of Underoos. Which might sound frivolous, but when you consider that those underwear packs were the only place we middle-aged geeks could get a decent superhero t-shirt in the late 70s, […]Crisis On Infinite Midlivesyes1:52:5510788Episode 42: Rear Admiral Cybermanhttp://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2014/11/16/episode-42-rear-admiral-cyberman/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2014/11/16/episode-42-rear-admiral-cyberman/#respondMon, 17 Nov 2014 03:31:36 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=10785This week we added and installed a ton of new studio equipment for the show… and then used it to spend a few minutes laying in movie sound clips like middle-market Morning Zoo jocks.

Once we got that out of our system (and it is out of our system, we swear), we spent some time discussing the Doctor Who season finale, Death in Heaven. We talk about how the finale resembled a big comic book crossover event, whether the season theme of The Doctor-as-aristocrat really held water, the missed opportunity of Clara insisting that she was The Doctor, and why the English put so much stock in Christmas specials.

This week also brought us the solicitations for the first week of DC’s Convergence event on April 8th, so we go through each of the books and talk about what looks good, what looks great, and what it would take for us to even remotely care about some of the returning pre-New 52 characters (hi, Damian Wayne!).

On the comics front, we discuss:

Captain America and The Mighty Avengers, written by Al Ewing with art by Luke Ross,

Captain America #1, written by Rick Remender with pencils y Stuart Immonen, and

Superior Iron Man #1, written by Tom Taylor with art by Yildiray Cinar!

And now the warnings:

This show is recorded live to tape. While that might mean that this is a looser comics podcast than you are normally accustomed to, it also means that anything can happen.

This show contains spoilers. While we try to shout out warnings ahead of time, just assume that the spoilers you fear most will be uttered as the punchline to a dirty joke.

Speaking of dirty jokes, this show contains adult, profane language, and is not safe for work. Having just bought a crate of recording studio gear, I can state with some authority that headphones are cheap. Get some.

Enjoy the show, suckers!

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2014/11/16/episode-42-rear-admiral-cyberman/feed/0This week we added and installed a ton of new studio equipment for the show… and then used it to spend a few minutes laying in movie sound clips like middle-market Morning Zoo jocks. Once we got that out of our system (and it is out of our system,This week we added and installed a ton of new studio equipment for the show… and then used it to spend a few minutes laying in movie sound clips like middle-market Morning Zoo jocks. Once we got that out of our system (and it is out of our system, we swear), we spent some time […]Crisis On Infinite Midlivesyes1:37:5310785Episode 41: SDCC 2015: The Struggle Is Realhttp://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2014/11/09/episode-41-sdcc-2015-the-struggle-is-real/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2014/11/09/episode-41-sdcc-2015-the-struggle-is-real/#respondMon, 10 Nov 2014 03:26:05 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=10779Pre-registration for San Diego Comic-Con 2015, for people who attended SDCC in 2014, came and went yesterday, and it marked the first disappointment for would-be attendees who didn’t manage to snag passes… including us. So we spend some time talking about the process, how it differed from registration procedures over the past ten years, and whether there are any other fair options that can balance the need to allow as many people as possible to experience the con, against the horrors of being forced to impotently watch the Blue Ring of Disappointment.

In addition, DC announced their spring crossover event, Convergence, and it was interesting in that it could bring back some pre-Flashpoint characters, it might roll back some New 52 changes, and it sounds suspiciously similar to Marvel’s upcoming Secret Wars event. So we talk about how these respective events might affect their greater continuities, for which publisher this might be a better and stronger move, and ultimately, which one we’re most looking forward to.

We also talk about:

Grayson #4, written by Tim Seeley with art by Mikel Janin, and:

Spider-Verse #1, written by Dan Slott with pencils by Olivier Coipel!

And now the legalese:

This show is recorded live to tape. While this might mean a looser comics podcast than you’re used to, it also means that anything can happen. Like the observation that, if people bitten by radioactive spiders throw off irresistible pheromones, then Spider-Verse will become a very sticky place for reasons other than webbing.

This show contains spoilers. While we try to shout out warnings ahead of time, just assume that we might ruin everything you love.

This show contains adult, profane language, and is therefore not safe for work. Your boss doesn’t have Spyral’s nano-bugs, so all you’ll need is some headphones.

Oh, and here’s that Marvel Secret Wars video we talked about:

Enjoy the show, suckers!

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2014/11/09/episode-41-sdcc-2015-the-struggle-is-real/feed/0Pre-registration for San Diego Comic-Con 2015, for people who attended SDCC in 2014, came and went yesterday, and it marked the first disappointment for would-be attendees who didn’t manage to snag passes… including us.Pre-registration for San Diego Comic-Con 2015, for people who attended SDCC in 2014, came and went yesterday, and it marked the first disappointment for would-be attendees who didn’t manage to snag passes… including us. So we spend some time talking about the process, how it differed from registration procedures over the past ten years, and […]Crisis On Infinite Midlivesyes1:35:3310779Episode 40: Press Play For Zolahttp://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2014/11/02/episode-40-press-play-for-zola/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2014/11/02/episode-40-press-play-for-zola/#respondMon, 03 Nov 2014 03:15:18 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=10773In case you didn’t notice, this week was all about Marvel Studios. They released the extended trailer for Avengers: Age of Ultron on Monday, and Tuesday they announced their Phase Three slate of movies to be released between 2016 and 2019, including Black Panther, Captain Marvel, and Avengers: Infinity War.

So we talk about those things, along with a brief rundown of some of the news coming out of this weekend’s Rhode Island Comic Con (That news being that it was impossible to get in… less in the “I can’t get tickets!” way than in the “I have VIP passes and you’re telling me I can’t enter the building?” way), and an analysis of the greatest living threat to your comic collection: unsupervised little brothers.

And on the actual printed comics front, we talk about:

Death of Wolverine: The Logan Legacy #3, written by Kyle Higgins with pencils by Jonathan Marks,

Death of Wolverine: Deadpool and Captain America #1, written by Gerry Duggan with pencils by Scott Kolins, and:

Thunderbolts #32, written by Ben Acker and Ben Blacker with art by Kim Jacinto!

And here be disclaimers:

This show is recorded live to tape. While it might lead to a looser comics podcast than you are normally accustomed to, it also means that anything can happen. Like trying to cast Benedict Cumberbatch as Squirrel Girl.

This show contains spoilers. While we try to shout out warnings ahead of time, be aware of it before going in.

Amanda and I use adult, profane language, and therefore this show is not safe for work. You want your boss to hear a conversation about whether the final shot of an adult video is better shot in 24 frames per second or 60 frames per second any why? Didn’t think so. Get some headphones.

Enjoy the show, suckers!

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2014/11/02/episode-40-press-play-for-zola/feed/0In case you didn’t notice, this week was all about Marvel Studios. They released the extended trailer for Avengers: Age of Ultron on Monday, and Tuesday they announced their Phase Three slate of movies to be released between 2016 and 2019,In case you didn’t notice, this week was all about Marvel Studios. They released the extended trailer for Avengers: Age of Ultron on Monday, and Tuesday they announced their Phase Three slate of movies to be released between 2016 and 2019, including Black Panther, Captain Marvel, and Avengers: Infinity War. So we talk about those […]Crisis On Infinite Midlivesyes1:36:3610773Episode 39: Filthy Manny: The Time Lord Who Tried, But Couldn’thttp://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2014/10/26/episode-39-filthy-manny-the-time-lord-who-tried-but-couldnt/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2014/10/26/episode-39-filthy-manny-the-time-lord-who-tried-but-couldnt/#respondMon, 27 Oct 2014 02:28:31 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=10767This week we’re joined by our longtime contributor Lance Manion, who, similarly to Amanda, has been watching Doctor Who since the 1970s. So, being most of the way through Peter Capaldi’s first season as The Doctor, we talk about the season so far, what we think works and what doesn’t, and what we individually want from a season of Doctor Who.

Conversely, Lance has very little background in the character of John Constantine. So we revisit the just-aired first episode of Constantine, discuss the key difference between the leaked pilot and the aired episode, and how the show works for fans of the character and people who only know him as the guy who was a jerk to Swamp Thing.

We also discuss:

Deathstroke #1, written and penciled by Tony S. Daniel, and:

Arkham Manor #1, written by Gerry Duggan with art by Shawn Crystal!

And now, the disclaimers:

Normally, we record this show live to tape. However, we had a technical issue this week, which required some sound post-processing and some editing. However, we kept it as close to live as possible to maintain the spontaneity.

This show contains spoilers. While we try to yell out warnings ahead of time, assume that we will spoil any surprises you might hold dear.

This show contains adult, profane language, and is not safe for work. Unless you want to explain to your boss what the “Tuscaloosa Armpit Gank” is, get some headphones.

Enjoy the show, suckers!

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2014/10/26/episode-39-filthy-manny-the-time-lord-who-tried-but-couldnt/feed/0This week we’re joined by our longtime contributor Lance Manion, who, similarly to Amanda, has been watching Doctor Who since the 1970s. So, being most of the way through Peter Capaldi’s first season as The Doctor, we talk about the season so far,This week we’re joined by our longtime contributor Lance Manion, who, similarly to Amanda, has been watching Doctor Who since the 1970s. So, being most of the way through Peter Capaldi’s first season as The Doctor, we talk about the season so far, what we think works and what doesn’t, and what we individually want […]Crisis On Infinite Midlivesyes1:45:1110767Episode 38: Slash Sausage Fictionhttp://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2014/10/19/episode-38-slash-sausage-fiction/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2014/10/19/episode-38-slash-sausage-fiction/#respondMon, 20 Oct 2014 02:30:02 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=10763At last week’s New York Comic Con, Marvel announced that writer Jonathan Hickman and artist Esad Ribic would be bringing us an updated version of Secret Wars. And after months of Marvel hyping up their version of the Multiverse in Avengers, New Avengers, and Spider-Verse, we can honestly say that: yeah, this looks just like DC’s Crisis On Infinite Earths. Except for the big stakes of a reboot, and written by a guy who sometimes seems to value intricate plots over character.

So we discuss that, as well as the dual announcements that Marvel Comics is bringing back some version of 2006’s Civil War in 2015, and that the Marvel Cinematic Universe might be addressing that same storyline. Specifically, how this might be a smart practical move for Marvel Studios (in that it could allow them to replace some key actors), and a not-so-smart story move (in that Marvel Studios has no Spider-Man).

And finally, we discuss The Death of Wolverine #4! The Canucklehead’s dead! So why are we having a hard time caring?

And now, the disclaimers:

We record this show live to tape. While this might mean a looser comics podcast than you are used to, it also means anything can happen. Like discussing why one might need a tissue to read certain books of The Bible.

This show contains spoilers. While we try to shout out warning ahead of time, please consider this your official heads-up.

Amanda and I use adult, profane language, so this show is not safe for work.

Enjoy the show, suckers!

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2014/10/19/episode-38-slash-sausage-fiction/feed/0At last week’s New York Comic Con, Marvel announced that writer Jonathan Hickman and artist Esad Ribic would be bringing us an updated version of Secret Wars. And after months of Marvel hyping up their version of the Multiverse in Avengers,At last week’s New York Comic Con, Marvel announced that writer Jonathan Hickman and artist Esad Ribic would be bringing us an updated version of Secret Wars. And after months of Marvel hyping up their version of the Multiverse in Avengers, New Avengers, and Spider-Verse, we can honestly say that: yeah, this looks just like […]Crisis On Infinite Midlivesyes1:22:5010763Comedy Of Errors – You May Ask Yourself: Where Is That GD Podcast?http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2014/10/14/comedy-of-errors-you-may-ask-yourself-where-is-that-gd-podcast/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2014/10/14/comedy-of-errors-you-may-ask-yourself-where-is-that-gd-podcast/#respondTue, 14 Oct 2014 22:27:24 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=10758Of all the weeks to be running into issues every time Rob and I want to sit down and try to bang out the damn podcast.

So, you may have noticed for the last couple nights we’ve thrown up a quick site business to explain the delay of our typical Sunday night podcast, which tens of you have come to know and rely on. If it wasn’t full on internet drought in the wilds of northern New England (and, frankly, how dare the White Mountains have no fucking Wi-Fi, amiright?), it was traffic and travel related. Tonight? Skynet. No, but seriously, Rob has run into an issue at his job he needs to stay ridiculously late for. I’d do the podcast myself, but I think we all know that while I’m good at saying really awful things at inopportune times, the show really needs Rob’s dick jokes to bring the whole thing into full focus. They say write about what you know and I am, well, dickless. It’s true. I checked.

It’s absolutely the worst time to find life hamstringing us like this; there are a lot of really interesting stories that have come out of New York Comic Con. For example, the attendance numbers at NYCC reportedly exceeded those of the San Diego Comic-Con. This year, 151,000 separate attendees all washed up on the doorstep of the Javitz Center. That is 21,000 more than San Diego. Given the crush of humanity that is the SDCC experience, I can only imagine what it must have been like to try to move around in that. It’s a mixed blessing. As more and more folks come out to see what all the geek fuss is about, the harder it is to actually get around to see all the panels, pros, vendors, and general weirdness that we’re all coming out to celebrate. NYCC has already set a date next year for October 8-11, 2015. The good news for folks who are specifically out to celebrate comics culture though is that there will be a special comics oriented edition in June on the 13th and 14th. This is actually a trend I’d like to see continue for some of the bigger cons. I hope it is a sign of more mindfully planned, better targeted convention experiences for fans going forward.

And then there is some of the news coming out of comics entertainment press in the past couple days.

Variety and Bleeding Cool are among the outlets reporting that Robert Downey Jr. is close to joining the cast of Captain America 3. If the deal is sealed, word has it that the next Cap movie will bring the Civil War story line from 2006-2007 into play as Marvel heads into its next phase of movies. Originally written by Mark Millar, Civil War explored the nature of professional responsibility versus personal liberty and privacy, as superheroes took sides over the specter (and then reality) of increased governmental oversight in the form of the Superhero Registration Act. While initially thought provoking and epic in scope, it kicked off a series of blockbuster comics events for Marvel that eventually became bloated and led many fans to event fatigue. So, you can imagine how incredibly pissed off excited some fans were to see this tweet from Marvel yesterday:

While the tweet makes more sense now, in the context of the potential direction of the Marvel movie franchise, I still have to question how absolutely bereft of ideas the House Of (supposed) Ideas is that they think they need a do over of something so recently in its storylines’ past. It’s not like editorial felt the need to do this with Ed Brubaker’s Winter Soldier storyline for the Cap 2 movie. Does Marvel just want to roll over and admit that they are Disney’s advertising tool at this point?

What a week to not have a microphone to yell into.

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2014/10/14/comedy-of-errors-you-may-ask-yourself-where-is-that-gd-podcast/feed/010758The Driving Deadhttp://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2014/10/13/the-driving-dead/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2014/10/13/the-driving-dead/#respondTue, 14 Oct 2014 00:18:50 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=10755Another funny story: in New England, there is a type of person called a “leaf peeper.” These are people who, based on a love of nature’s glory, travel to northern New England in the autumn to look at the colorful changing foliage.

Turns out they like to do this on long weekends like this one. Also turns out they like to return south to their homes today. Also turns out these useless treehugging motherfuckers can’t find the wherewithal to drive a straight line on New Hampshire’s Route 93 at a speed exceeding 15 miles per hour.

Because of this, Episode 38 will be posted tomorrow evening. We apologize for the continued delay.

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2014/10/13/the-driving-dead/feed/010755Where Is My Internets?http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2014/10/12/where-is-my-internets/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2014/10/12/where-is-my-internets/#respondSun, 12 Oct 2014 23:02:37 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=10753So, funny story: we are in New Hampshire, at an unfamiliar hotel we booked last minute for the long Columbus Day weekend. We booked the hotel because their Web site swore that they had Wi-Fi available.

Turns out that that Wi-Fi is available only in the hotel lobby. Which is across the street. And which closes at 6 p.m. on Sundays after Labor Day.

Which means that we have a satchel full of recording equipment, opinions about some news items from New York Comic Con and Scott Snyder’s comics this week… and only 2G cell phone Internet. Which ain’t exactly enough to publish a big MP3 podcast file. Or a small one. Or anything more complicated than an apology.

We will be back in the Civilized World tomorrow afternoon, and will have a new episode on the wire soon after that.

Hi, my name is Lobo! I enjoy vegan cuisine, fitness, and long walks on the beach. I’m looking for someone who shares my affinity for sword collecting and leather clubs. Could you be my special someone?

With the cancellation of Vortexx on the CW network, this is the first weekend that has had no Saturday morning cartoons on a major television network. And given that seeing superheroes on TV was a large part of what got Amanda and I into comics in the 1970s, we spend some time reminiscing about our favorite cartoons (as well as live action superheroics like The Adventures of Superman and Shazam!), and digging into how modern kids might find comic books. You know, other than billion-dollar Marvel Studios movies.

It is also a week where several comic characters have new faces behind classic costumes. So we talk about them all:

Lobo #1, written by Cullen Bunn with pencils by Reilly Brown,

Captain America #25, written by Rick Remender with art by Carlos Pacheco and Stuart Immonen, and

Thor #1, written by Jason Aaron with art by Russell Dautermann!

And now the legalese:

We record this episode live to tape. While this might mean a looser show than other comics podcasts, it also means that anything can happen. Like learning about a child named Vlad who apparently lives under the bed.

We spoil a lot of stuff on this show. While we try to shout out warnings ahead of time, consider yourself warned.

We use adult, profane language, and therefore this show is not safe for work. If you don’t have any headphones, ask Lobo. Based on what happened to him in this week’s issue, he’s not using them.

Enjoy the show, suckers!

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2014/10/05/episode-37-50-shades-of-lobo/feed/0With the cancellation of Vortexx on the CW network, this is the first weekend that has had no Saturday morning cartoons on a major television network. And given that seeing superheroes on TV was a large part of what got Amanda and I into comics in the ...With the cancellation of Vortexx on the CW network, this is the first weekend that has had no Saturday morning cartoons on a major television network. And given that seeing superheroes on TV was a large part of what got Amanda and I into comics in the 1970s, we spend some time reminiscing about our […]Crisis On Infinite Midlivesyes1:25:4710748Episode 36: Kidnapping, Sadness And Donkey Showshttp://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2014/09/28/episode-36-kidnapping-sadness-and-donkey-shows/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2014/09/28/episode-36-kidnapping-sadness-and-donkey-shows/#respondMon, 29 Sep 2014 02:20:06 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=10745Gotham premiered on NBC this past week, so Amanda and I talk about the first episode. We discuss what we thought worked, what didn’t, why we don’t want to see all the fan service super villains we got in this first episode… and frankly, why we don’t want to see much more of Bruce Wayne, either. We also compare the show to Ed Brubaker’s and Greg Rucka’s Gotham Central comic series, sometimes favorably, others… not so.

We also talk briefly about the second season premiere of Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., and how we like that we got an honest-to-God supervillain, an early direction, and an Agent Ward who might not be long for this Earth!

And when it comes to comics, we discuss:

Secret Avengers #8, written by Ales Kot with art by Michael Walsh, and:

Harley Quinn: Futures’ End one shot, written by Jimmy Palmiotti and Amanda Conner, with art by Chad Hardin!

And now the disclaimers:

We record this show live to tape. While this might mean it’s a looser show than you are used to from other comics podcasts, it also means that anything can happen. Like discussing the mechanics of M.O.D.O.K. sex.

This show has a lot of spoilers. We try to warn you ahead of time, but consider this our blanket heads-up.

Amanda and I use adult, profane language, and therefore this show is not safe for work. Did you not see the warning that we talk about M.O.D.O.K. sex? Get some headphones.

Enjoy the show, suckers!

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2014/09/28/episode-36-kidnapping-sadness-and-donkey-shows/feed/0Gotham premiered on NBC this past week, so Amanda and I talk about the first episode. We discuss what we thought worked, what didn’t, why we don’t want to see all the fan service super villains we got in this first episode… and frankly,Gotham premiered on NBC this past week, so Amanda and I talk about the first episode. We discuss what we thought worked, what didn’t, why we don’t want to see all the fan service super villains we got in this first episode… and frankly, why we don’t want to see much more of Bruce Wayne, […]Crisis On Infinite Midlivesyes1:21:5410745Episode 35: Do The Brokebackhttp://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2014/09/21/episode-35-do-the-brokeback/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2014/09/21/episode-35-do-the-brokeback/#respondMon, 22 Sep 2014 02:32:02 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=10738Between the new female Thor, Falcon taking over as Captain America, and this week’s rumors that X-23 will take over as Wolverine (after Sabretooth takes over as Wolverine), Amanda and I talk about succession in superhero comics in general. We start with the idea that DC is all about succession while Marvel never has been, the kinds of stories that could work as new people put on the old costumes, what probably couldn’t work, and what ulterior motives Marvel could have for such recent character churn.

We also discuss:

Batwoman: Futures’ End One Shot, written by Marc Andreyko with art by Jason Masters, and:

Edge of Spider-Verse: Gwen Stacy, Spider-Woman, written by Jason LaTour with art by Robbi Rodriguez!

And now the legalese:

We record this show live to tape. Which might mean a looser show that you are used to from other comics podcasts, but it also means anything can happen. Like ruminations over the flat affect of people rescued by Superman in 1970s Hostess Fruit Pie ads.

This show contains spoilers. While we try to shout out a warning ahead of time, consider this a master, blanket warning.

This show contains adult, explicit language, and is not safe for work. You no longer need to sell Grit subscriptions to get headphones, so go out and do so.

Enjoy the show, suckers!

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2014/09/21/episode-35-do-the-brokeback/feed/0Between the new female Thor, Falcon taking over as Captain America, and this week’s rumors that X-23 will take over as Wolverine (after Sabretooth takes over as Wolverine), Amanda and I talk about succession in superhero comics in general.Between the new female Thor, Falcon taking over as Captain America, and this week’s rumors that X-23 will take over as Wolverine (after Sabretooth takes over as Wolverine), Amanda and I talk about succession in superhero comics in general. We start with the idea that DC is all about succession while Marvel never has been, […]Crisis On Infinite Midlivesyes1:21:5910738Episode 34: Drunken Irish Space Jesushttp://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2014/09/14/episode-34-drunken-irish-space-jesus/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2014/09/14/episode-34-drunken-irish-space-jesus/#respondMon, 15 Sep 2014 02:01:29 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=10732Over the past week, announcements have come down that TV versions of Teen Titans and Supergirl are being developed… mere weeks before the premieres of Gotham, Constantine, The Flash, and a new season of Arrow. And all this on top of DC’s efforts to build a Marvel Studios style cohesive universe with their own movies.

So Amanda and I discuss who they could possibly use in Titans, what with all these other disconnected properties being released (spoilers: if we see Jericho, there will be blood). We also talk about whether, with these series as well as Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Agent Carter, and the four Netflix series, we could be driving the non-comics reading public into superhero burnout, and if DC is fouling their own nest by pulling possible movie characters out of play for basic cable TV shows.

We also talk about:

Batman: Futures’ End #1, written by Ray Fawkes with art by Aco, and

The Death of Wolverine #2, written by Charles Soule with art by Steve McNiven!

And now the disclaimers:

We record this show live to tape. While that might mean a slightly looser show than you are used to, it also means that anything can happen. Like talking about Matthew Perry wearing Leifeld leg pouches stuffed with Vicodin.

This show contains spoilers. While we try to shout a warning ahead of time, consider this the official one.

This show contains adult, explicit language, and is therefore not safe for work. If you don’t have headphones, find Jericho, clock him in the head and take his. He’s got it coming, and besides: he can’t cry for help anyway.

Enjoy the show, suckers!

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2014/09/14/episode-34-drunken-irish-space-jesus/feed/0Over the past week, announcements have come down that TV versions of Teen Titans and Supergirl are being developed… mere weeks before the premieres of Gotham, Constantine, The Flash, and a new season of Arrow.Over the past week, announcements have come down that TV versions of Teen Titans and Supergirl are being developed… mere weeks before the premieres of Gotham, Constantine, The Flash, and a new season of Arrow. And all this on top of DC’s efforts to build a Marvel Studios style cohesive universe with their own movies. […]Crisis On Infinite Midlivesyes1:31:2010732Episode 33: Unlikely Voice Of Reasonhttp://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2014/09/07/episode-33-unlikely-voice-of-reason/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2014/09/07/episode-33-unlikely-voice-of-reason/#respondMon, 08 Sep 2014 02:18:21 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=10728There are two types of people in this world: superhero comic fans who love Miracleman by Alan Moore and Neil Gaiman, and superhero comic fans who haven’t read all of it yet. Rob is in column A, and Amanda is in column B. Which means that they had very different reactions upon hearing that Marvel has announced that they will be publishing a Miracleman annual, with stories by Grant Morrison and Peter Milligan. This announcement begs the question: should new creators be allowed to jump into a story like Miracleman, which is a combined yet singular vision between two epic creators? And being two different types of people, Amanda and Rob have differing views on the announcement.

But there is more to comics than a couple of new short stories tacked onto a 30-year-old narrative. So Amanda and Rob also discuss:

The Death of Wolverine #1, written by Charles Soule with pencils by Steve McNiven,

Original Sin #8, written by Jason Aaron with art by Mike Deodato and

Big Trouble In Little China #4, written by Eric Powell and drawn by Brian Churilla!

And now the legalese:

We record this show live to tape. While this might mean a slightly looser show than your normal comics podcast, it also means that anything can happen.

This show contains spoilers. While we try to throw out a verbal warning before we cut loose, consider this fair warning.

Amanda and Rob use adult, explicit language, and therefore this show is not safe for work. The janitors portrayed in Miracleman had Walkman headphones for work, and that was 1984. What’s your excuse?

Enjoy the show, suckers!

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2014/09/07/episode-33-unlikely-voice-of-reason/feed/0There are two types of people in this world: superhero comic fans who love Miracleman by Alan Moore and Neil Gaiman, and superhero comic fans who haven’t read all of it yet. Rob is in column A, and Amanda is in column B.There are two types of people in this world: superhero comic fans who love Miracleman by Alan Moore and Neil Gaiman, and superhero comic fans who haven’t read all of it yet. Rob is in column A, and Amanda is in column B. Which means that they had very different reactions upon hearing that Marvel has […]Crisis On Infinite Midlivesyes1:27:3510728Episode 32: Whistle Pighttp://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2014/08/31/episode-32-whistle-pig/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2014/08/31/episode-32-whistle-pig/#respondMon, 01 Sep 2014 01:18:13 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=10724It is the middle of Labor Day weekend, which means that things are slow in the world of comics news, and fast in the world of drinking whiskey to forget you still have a job to go to on Tuesday.

So Amanda and I use this lull to idly speculate who might be a good casting choice for Doctor Strange in the upcoming Phase 3 Marvel movie. And not only that, but we got ourselves out to see the currently-in-theaters Sin City: A Dame To Kill For adaptation of Frank Miller’s hard boiled crime comics… and we had remarkably different reactions to the flick. Specifically regarding Eva Green’s casting as Ava Lord, Eva Green’s ability to portray Ava Lord, and Eva Green’s qualifications as an actress beyond the ability of some of her bodily appendages to defy constant gravitational forces. We also talk about the other parts of the movie.

We also discuss:

All-Star Western #34, written by Jimmy Palmiotti and Justin Gray, with art by Darwyn Cooke, and

Silver Surfer #5, written by Dan Slott with pencils by Mike Allred!

And now the disclaimers:

We record this show live to tape. While this might mean a somewhat looser comics podcast than you are used to, it also means anything can happen. Like discussions about new supervillain Whistle Pig.

This show contains spoilers. While we try to shout out warnings before spilling secrets, be on notice that spoilers can happen at any time.

Amanda and I use explicit, adult language, and therefore this show is not safe for work. Before listening without headphones, please see the earlier note about the discussion vis a vis Eva Green’s bodily appendages. Get some headphones.

Enjoy the show, suckers!

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2014/08/31/episode-32-whistle-pig/feed/0It is the middle of Labor Day weekend, which means that things are slow in the world of comics news, and fast in the world of drinking whiskey to forget you still have a job to go to on Tuesday. So Amanda and I use this lull to idly speculate who might...It is the middle of Labor Day weekend, which means that things are slow in the world of comics news, and fast in the world of drinking whiskey to forget you still have a job to go to on Tuesday. So Amanda and I use this lull to idly speculate who might be a good […]Crisis On Infinite Midlivesyes1:15:0610724Episode 31: Matt Smith Is The Batusihttp://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2014/08/24/episode-31-matt-smith-is-the-batusi/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2014/08/24/episode-31-matt-smith-is-the-batusi/#respondMon, 25 Aug 2014 02:32:55 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=10720This week was the much-heralded premiere of Doctor Who season 8, with Peter Capaldi’s first turn as The Doctor. Like most geeks, Amanda and I watched the show, with our special guests, long-time Crisis On Infinite Midlives contributors Trebuchet and Pixiestyx, and spent some time talking about the episode itself, and Doctor Who as a whole. Between us all, we have a wide range of experience and interest in Doctor Who, from one recent and casual fan to one who’s been watching since Tom Baker was broadcast of UHF PBS stations in the early 90s, so it made for a pretty interesting conversation, even with our crippling, debilitating hangovers!

We also discuss:

Buffy The Vampire Slayer Season 10 #6, written by Christos Gage with art by Karl Moline, and

Multiversity #1, written by Grant Morrison with art by Ivan Reis (and considering Rob is the only hardcore superhero fan with a soft spot for Morrison, this gets a little contentious)!

And now the disclaimers:

This show was recorded live to tape. While this might mean it’s a little looser than some comics podcasts, it also means that anything can happen! Including the rank mockery of Matt Smith!

This show not only contains spoilers, but it is supersaturated with spoilers. So while we try to throw in warnings ahead of time, consider this a big, blanket, spoilery-woilery warning.

Everyone involved in this show uses explicit, adult language, so the show is not safe for work. Even the BBC, which allows full frontal nudity, would bleep this show. So get yourself some headphones.

Enjoy the show, suckers!

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2014/08/24/episode-31-matt-smith-is-the-batusi/feed/0This week was the much-heralded premiere of Doctor Who season 8, with Peter Capaldi’s first turn as The Doctor. Like most geeks, Amanda and I watched the show, with our special guests, long-time Crisis On Infinite Midlives contributors Trebuchet and Pi...This week was the much-heralded premiere of Doctor Who season 8, with Peter Capaldi’s first turn as The Doctor. Like most geeks, Amanda and I watched the show, with our special guests, long-time Crisis On Infinite Midlives contributors Trebuchet and Pixiestyx, and spent some time talking about the episode itself, and Doctor Who as a […]Crisis On Infinite Midlivesyes1:27:0910720Episode 30: Nothing But Boss Battleshttp://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2014/08/17/episode-30-nothing-but-boss-battles/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2014/08/17/episode-30-nothing-but-boss-battles/#respondMon, 18 Aug 2014 02:32:12 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=10715We are just a couple of weeks out of San Diego Comic-Con, and that means that there is next to no comic news to discuss this week. However, it also means that we are heading into the Big Two’s fall event schedule, so we discuss Marvel’s upcoming Avengers & X-Men: AXIS crossover, as well as events in general, and event fatigue specifically.

And by specifically, we discuss events we liked over the years, events we hated, how it rarely feels like there’s any stakes to what comes out of them, and how sometimes they can lead to unintended consequences that can require years and a reboot to repair (Hi, Infinite Crisis and Justice League: Cry For Justice!).

We also talk about:

Captain Marvel #6, written by Kelly Sue DeConnick with art by David Lopez, and,

Batman #34, story by Scott Snyder and Gerry Duggan, script by Gerry Duggan with art by Matteo Scalera, and:

How Rob wound up drinking one of the first 12 Zimas on the planet (really)!

And now the disclaimers:

We record this show live to tape. While that can sometimes mean things are looser than you might find in other comics podcasts, it also means that anything can happen. Like stories about Zima.

This show contains spoilers. While we try to shout out a warning ahead of time, they can happen almost anytime.

This show contains adult language, and is not safe for work. Unless your job is being the guy who created Zima, in which case, you’ve had all these obscenities shouted at you before.

Enjoy the show, suckers!

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2014/08/17/episode-30-nothing-but-boss-battles/feed/0We are just a couple of weeks out of San Diego Comic-Con, and that means that there is next to no comic news to discuss this week. However, it also means that we are heading into the Big Two’s fall event schedule,We are just a couple of weeks out of San Diego Comic-Con, and that means that there is next to no comic news to discuss this week. However, it also means that we are heading into the Big Two’s fall event schedule, so we discuss Marvel’s upcoming Avengers & X-Men: AXIS crossover, as well as […]Crisis On Infinite Midlivesyes1:35:2410715Episode 29: Tyrion The Imp In Draghttp://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2014/08/10/episode-29-tyrion-the-imp-in-drag/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2014/08/10/episode-29-tyrion-the-imp-in-drag/#respondMon, 11 Aug 2014 02:00:14 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=10713We just returned from three days attending Boston Comic Con, meaning that we have spent eight of our last 18 days walking the floor at various comic conventions. That is a physical feat that no one should ever attempt. Co-host Amanda is now on a course of serious painkillers, and Rob is considering commissioning a Krazy-Straw long enough to allow him to drink beer without having to move at all.

But we survived, and spent some time this evening talking about the experience of Boston Comic Con on its journey from minor convention to regional powerhouse over the past few years, what worked and what could be made better, and the joys of arranging on-site art commissions from artists ranging from the gleefully professional to the simply brilliant and loose.

We also discussed:

The Superior Foes of Spider-Man #14, written by Nick Spencer with art by Steve Lieber and Rich Ellis, and

Kick-Ass 3 #8, written by Mark Millar with art by John Romita Jr. (as well as a discussion about the entire Kick-Ass saga and how well it worked)!

And now the disclaimers:

This show is recorded live to tape. While this means that the show might be a little looser than you are used to, it also means that anything can happen.

This show contains spoilers. Specifically, if you don’t want to be spoiled on the events of The Superior Foes of Spider-Man or Kick-Ass 3, please tread lightly.

This show contains adult, explicit language, and is therefore not safe for work. Simon Bisley was able to swear at us with impunity during the convention due to the background noise. Your cubicle does not have that noise. Get some cans.

Enjoy the show, suckers!

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2014/08/10/episode-29-tyrion-the-imp-in-drag/feed/0We just returned from three days attending Boston Comic Con, meaning that we have spent eight of our last 18 days walking the floor at various comic conventions. That is a physical feat that no one should ever attempt.We just returned from three days attending Boston Comic Con, meaning that we have spent eight of our last 18 days walking the floor at various comic conventions. That is a physical feat that no one should ever attempt. Co-host Amanda is now on a course of serious painkillers, and Rob is considering commissioning a […]Crisis On Infinite Midlivesyes1:27:3410713Episode 28: Interstellar Cockfighthttp://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2014/08/03/episode-28-interstellar-cockfight/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2014/08/03/episode-28-interstellar-cockfight/#respondMon, 04 Aug 2014 02:32:07 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=10708We have safely returned from San Diego Comic-Con 2014, so Amanda and I do a final postmortem of the experience… as we prepare to turn right back around to attend and cover Boston Comic Con next weekend.

We also discuss:

The new Guardians of The Galaxy movie and how it is one of Marvel Studios best… while still not being perfect,

Guardians of The Galaxy #17, written by Brian Michael Bendis with art by Nick Bradshaw and Michael Avon Oeming, and

Fatale #24, written by Ed Brubaker with art by Sean Phillips!

And now, the legalese:

This podcast is recorded live to tape. This might mean more pauses and rough spots than you might be used to in a comics podcast, but it also means that anything can happen.

This show contains spoilers. While we try to warn before dropping them, be aware that they might come at any time.

Amanda and I use adult, profane language, and therefore this show is not safe for work. Dr. Dre didn’t spend 18 bucks on research and development for you to listen to podcasts on speakers.

As an aside, this episode is our first show as a member of the Comics Podcast Network. It’s a cool site that features nothing but podcasts about comics and comic culture. We’ve found a few killer shows there that we like listening to, and we’re excited to be joining their ranks. Check them out to find other viewpoints about our favorite hobby!

Enjoy the show, suckers!

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2014/08/03/episode-28-interstellar-cockfight/feed/0We have safely returned from San Diego Comic-Con 2014, so Amanda and I do a final postmortem of the experience… as we prepare to turn right back around to attend and cover Boston Comic Con next weekend. We also discuss: The new Guardians of The Galaxy ...We have safely returned from San Diego Comic-Con 2014, so Amanda and I do a final postmortem of the experience… as we prepare to turn right back around to attend and cover Boston Comic Con next weekend. We also discuss: The new Guardians of The Galaxy movie and how it is one of Marvel Studios […]Crisis On Infinite Midlivesyes1:38:1910708Episode 27: Fatigue Hysteriahttp://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2014/07/27/episode-27-fatigue-hysteria/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2014/07/27/episode-27-fatigue-hysteria/#respondMon, 28 Jul 2014 03:12:15 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=10705It is the last day of San Diego Comic-Con 2014, and Amanda and I took a break from the floor to record a short show. It was short because we are exhausted.

So we spent this truncated show ruminating about how SDCC will tire you out, fray your tempo, make you want to throw a shank into convention volunteers, set you on a path to push joyous children into the closest wall, and make you ready to leave… while still surprising you with new spectacle, cool things to buy, awesome panels, and just flat out fun.

We will probably do a recap show sometime midweek, after we arrive back at the Crisis On Infinite Midlives Home Office, but for now, give a listen and get a sense to how SDCC removes all sense from you.

Enjoy the show, suckers!

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2014/07/27/episode-27-fatigue-hysteria/feed/0It is the last day of San Diego Comic-Con 2014, and Amanda and I took a break from the floor to record a short show. It was short because we are exhausted. So we spent this truncated show ruminating about how SDCC will tire you out, fray your tempo,It is the last day of San Diego Comic-Con 2014, and Amanda and I took a break from the floor to record a short show. It was short because we are exhausted. So we spent this truncated show ruminating about how SDCC will tire you out, fray your tempo, make you want to throw a […]Crisis On Infinite Midlivesyes36:0010705Episode 26: Pool Floatieshttp://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2014/07/26/episode-26-pool-floaties/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2014/07/26/episode-26-pool-floaties/#respondSat, 26 Jul 2014 17:33:47 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=10700We are still in the thick of SDCC 2014, somehow alive after two full days. And today, we are joined by Los Angeles comedian Gariana Abeyta, who is not only a longtime friend of Amanda’s and mine from stand-up comedy, but who is active in L. A.’s film community, and one of the subjects of Out of Print, the upcoming Julia Marchese documentary about L. A.’s New Beverly cinema – a movie theater that runs film instead of digital projection and is therefore facing obsolescence. Yup, we know someone who’s in an honest-to-God movie!

Because of this, Gariana spent a small chunk of the day in Hall H, Comic-Con’s big room for big movie and TV panels. So we talk a little bit about that, a little bit more about the pure, unadulterated hell of just getting into Hall H, how the convention destroys you physically and emotionally, and the general confusion, frustrations, and compromises that come with attending the best comic book convention in the world. And since we’ve known each other for a while, there are plenty of drinking war stories to go around.

And the usual disclaimers:

We record this show live to tape. That means that you might hear the odd pregnant pause or, “um,” but it also means that anything can happen… and in this show, it truly did. Seriously, this one’s a little discombobulated, but it’s a blast.

We use adult, vulgar language, and therefore this show is not safe for work. Gariana was able to borrow some earbuds to tape the show, you can damn sure do the same to listen to it.

If you want to hear more of Gariana (and see some quality early-80s soft core boobs!), you can get the DVD of Private Lessonswhere she contributes to a commentary track!

The Blind Burro is a great place to have lunch in San Diego… even if their burger with a pile of sausage on the top might be a little much.

Enjoy the show, suckers!

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2014/07/26/episode-26-pool-floaties/feed/0We are still in the thick of SDCC 2014, somehow alive after two full days. And today, we are joined by Los Angeles comedian Gariana Abeyta, who is not only a longtime friend of Amanda’s and mine from stand-up comedy, but who is active in L. A.We are still in the thick of SDCC 2014, somehow alive after two full days. And today, we are joined by Los Angeles comedian Gariana Abeyta, who is not only a longtime friend of Amanda’s and mine from stand-up comedy, but who is active in L. A.’s film community, and one of the subjects of […]Crisis On Infinite Midlivesyes1:41:2810700Episode 25: Batman Doesn’t Use Axe Body Sprayhttp://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2014/07/25/episode-25-batman-doesnt-use-axe-body-spray/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2014/07/25/episode-25-batman-doesnt-use-axe-body-spray/#respondFri, 25 Jul 2014 18:45:36 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=10697We are on the ground at SDCC 2014! We have completed our first full day at the show, bought some stuff, seen some panels, and have a few things to talk about, including:

How the convention looks a little smaller in scale than it has for the past few years,

The Batman In The 70s panel, and what our personal “our Batman” stories,

The Geek Movies of 1984 Panel, and which movies of that year (when Amanda and I were each 13 years old) are our personal favorites, and:

How you can’t get new comics at San Diego Comic-Con

And here be disclaimers:

This show was recorded live to tape (on unfamiliar mobile equipment). That means a few more pauses and digressions than you might get in other podcasts, but it also means anything can happen (like a digression on finding dirty movies in the 1980s).

We use adult, graphic language, and therefore this show is not safe for work. We know from traveling this week that you can buy earbuds for 10 bucks. Do it.

Enjoy the show, suckers!

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2014/07/25/episode-25-batman-doesnt-use-axe-body-spray/feed/0We are on the ground at SDCC 2014! We have completed our first full day at the show, bought some stuff, seen some panels, and have a few things to talk about, including: How the convention looks a little smaller in scale than it has for the past few ye...We are on the ground at SDCC 2014! We have completed our first full day at the show, bought some stuff, seen some panels, and have a few things to talk about, including: How the convention looks a little smaller in scale than it has for the past few years, The Batman In The 70s […]Crisis On Infinite Midlivesyes49:1210697Episode 24: You Have Nice Line Workhttp://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2014/07/20/episode-24-you-have-nice-line-work/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2014/07/20/episode-24-you-have-nice-line-work/#respondMon, 21 Jul 2014 01:47:35 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=10691Since we are less than 36 hours away from leaving for San Diego Comic-Con 2014, and therefore are fully engaged in preparing for the trip, we are a little fried today. So this is a shorter than usual episode (not the end of the world, considering we plan to podcast direct from the convention at least a couple of times), but a full one, where Amanda and I discuss:

The changes of Thor to a woman and Captain America to Sam Wilson that were announced on TV this week (if only there were a major convention to make these kinds of announcements!),

Since Amanda and I have attended nine straight San Diego Comic-Cons, we share a few tips on how to survive the whole experience (and avoid an extinction level digestive event), and:

Harley Quinn Invades Comic-Con International / San Diego #1, by Amanda Conner, Jimmy Palmiotti and a bunch of guest artists!

And now the legally-required disclaimers:

This show is recorded live to tape. This means there might be a few more pregnant pauses than you are used to in a comics podcast, but it also means that anything can happen.

There are spoilers in this show. We try to warn you ahead of time, but if you don’t know the kind of treatment you’ll get at a place called “Dick’s Last Resort,” you might deserve what you get.

This show contains adult, explicit language, and is not safe for work. I bought earbuds at a gas station for $12 today. What’s your excuse?

Enjoy the show, suckers! And don’t forget to tune in for episodes live(ish) from SDCC later this week!

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2014/07/20/episode-24-you-have-nice-line-work/feed/0Since we are less than 36 hours away from leaving for San Diego Comic-Con 2014, and therefore are fully engaged in preparing for the trip, we are a little fried today. So this is a shorter than usual episode (not the end of the world,Since we are less than 36 hours away from leaving for San Diego Comic-Con 2014, and therefore are fully engaged in preparing for the trip, we are a little fried today. So this is a shorter than usual episode (not the end of the world, considering we plan to podcast direct from the convention at […]Crisis On Infinite Midlivesyes1:06:1510691I’m On An Internet, Whoa-Oh, Radiohttp://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2014/07/14/im-on-an-internet-whoa-oh-radio/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2014/07/14/im-on-an-internet-whoa-oh-radio/#respondTue, 15 Jul 2014 01:13:41 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=10676Q:Hey, I haven’t been by the site for a while. I come back, and… what the fuck is this? What the hell happened? Did you quit?

A: Hell, no! We’ve just switched away from posting written content every day. Have you ever tried to write every damn day? It’s hard! It leads to questionable judgment! What do you think happened to Chuck Austen?

Q:So what, in fact, are you doing?

A: We’ve changed our focus to our weekly podcast, The Crisis On Infinite Midlives Show. Every Sunday, Amanda and I (and the occasional guests) talk about a couple of recent comic / genre / geek related topics, and review a few of the week’s comic books we really liked (or desperately hated)! Plus, we tell as many filthy jokes along the way as the law will allow!

Q: That sounds pertinent to my interests, as I have a long commute / strenuous workout / extended stretch in solitary confinement I need to kill! How can I obtain this show?

A: How can’t you get it? Let’s count the ways! You can:

Navigate to our Podcast category to listen to shows directly through your browser!

Subscribe directly to our Podcast RSS feed with the podcast aggregator of your choosing to download shows the instant they go live!

Find us on iTunes! Or, if you already have iTunes installed on whatever machine you’re reading this on, you can fire it up and subscribe directly!

If you have a Windows Phone or a Zune, congratulations on your adventurous, iconoclastic spirit! You can find us on your device’s app store.

If you use the Miro media player (think iTunes for people who hate Apple), you can subscribe here (and if you don’t, that link should give you some info on how to get the player).

Use the TuneIn app to check out live radio? Well, you can pick us up on TuneIn right here.

We are also proud members of the Comics Podcast Network. It’s a Web site that aggregates nothing but podcasts about comics and comic-related topics. I’ve spent a bunch of time there, and have found a ton of interesting, entertaining, and well-produced shows about comics that I like listening to. And while their inclusion of our show is a sign that their standards must be slipping, it’s still the best resource we’ve found for shows about our favorite hobby. Seriously: you can spend hours browsing through great shows there. Go check it out.

As we add ways to find the show, we’ll put them up here. If you’ve got a favorite way to get your podcasts, let us know in the comments and we’ll look into getting us into that avenue.

So thanks for checking out our show, and please feel free to leave comments here, or to leave reviews and rating on whatever third-party service you choose to get your hands on the show.

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2014/07/14/im-on-an-internet-whoa-oh-radio/feed/010676Episode 23: Her THAC0 Is Ridiculoushttp://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2014/07/13/episode-23-her-thac0-is-ridiculous/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2014/07/13/episode-23-her-thac0-is-ridiculous/#respondMon, 14 Jul 2014 02:22:02 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=10688There has been another creative team change on Batgirl, by all reports due to editorial edict. So Amanda and I talk not only about the proposed new direction for the character, but we about the increasing influence over story and tone that editorial seems to have been gaining over creative teams as opposed to the early 2000s, when comics were doomed and writers and artists could seemingly do any damn thing they wanted if the sales numbers this month were higher than the ones from last month.

We are also just over a week away from San Diego Comic-Con 2014, so we talk about some of the scheduled panels, and how the wealth of content can make it infuriating, if not impossible, see everything you want at the show.

Finally, we discuss and review The Walking Dead #129, and Grayson #1!

And now the usual legalese:

We record this show live to tape. While that might mean some parts are a little rough around the edges compared to your regular comics podcast, it also means that anything can happen.

This show contains spoilers. We try to give a shout-out ahead of time, but we drink while recording. So tread lightly.

This podcast contains adult, explicit language, and is not safe for work. If you don’t want your boss hearing us talk about how superhero costumes contain compartments for each boob, wear headphones.

Enjoy the show, suckers!

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2014/07/13/episode-23-her-thac0-is-ridiculous/feed/0There has been another creative team change on Batgirl, by all reports due to editorial edict. So Amanda and I talk not only about the proposed new direction for the character, but we about the increasing influence over story and tone that editorial se...There has been another creative team change on Batgirl, by all reports due to editorial edict. So Amanda and I talk not only about the proposed new direction for the character, but we about the increasing influence over story and tone that editorial seems to have been gaining over creative teams as opposed to the […]Crisis On Infinite Midlivesyes1:39:0210688Episode 22: Bone Chilling Soul Deathhttp://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2014/07/06/episode-22-bone-chilling-soul-death/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2014/07/06/episode-22-bone-chilling-soul-death/#respondMon, 07 Jul 2014 00:38:33 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=10681This 4th of July weekend, we got sucked into the AMC marathon of The Walking Dead, and were surprised how binge-watching the whole thing from the beginning changed our opinion of the show. So we talked about that extensively, along with:

The NBC Constantine pilot leaked to the Internet this week. Amanda and I saw it, and have some fairly strong opinions as to what worked (Matt Ryan as John Constantine) and what didn’t (writing, pacing, too much exposition, not enough mystery, no local flavor, and some other stuff),

Original Sin #5, written by Jason Aaron with art by Mike Deodato, and:

Rocket Raccoon #1, written and drawn by Skottie Young!

And now, the legalese:

We record the show live to tape. That means a few stuttered words more than you’re used to in a comics / genre culture podcast, but it also means that anything can happen.

The show contains spoilers. Some weeks it’s a few, some it’s a lot. This is one of the latter. Be forewarned.

Amanda and I use explicit, adult language, so this podcast is not safe for work. Unless your boss likes phrases like, “Preemptive dribble of patriotism,” wear headphones.

Enjoy the show, suckers!

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2014/07/06/episode-22-bone-chilling-soul-death/feed/0This 4th of July weekend, we got sucked into the AMC marathon of The Walking Dead, and were surprised how binge-watching the whole thing from the beginning changed our opinion of the show. So we talked about that extensively,This 4th of July weekend, we got sucked into the AMC marathon of The Walking Dead, and were surprised how binge-watching the whole thing from the beginning changed our opinion of the show. So we talked about that extensively, along with: The NBC Constantine pilot leaked to the Internet this week. Amanda and I saw […]Crisis On Infinite Midlivesyes1:32:2210681Episode 21: Bruce Wayne: Millionaire Playboy, Sexual Predatorhttp://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2014/06/29/episode-21-bruce-wayne-millionaire-playboy-sexual-predator/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2014/06/29/episode-21-bruce-wayne-millionaire-playboy-sexual-predator/#respondMon, 30 Jun 2014 01:27:57 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=10671It’s the 25th anniversary of the release of Batman in theaters, so this week, Amanda and I talk about what it was like being a geek in the years and months leading up to the flick… and whether it holds up now (Hint: in 1989, Batman was a terrible, terrible pervert).

We also talk about:

The pilot for The Flash that leaked to the Internet this week,

Superman #32, written by Geoff Johns with art by John Romita Jr., and,

New Avengers #20, written by Jonathan Hickman with art by Valerio Schiti!

And, the usual disclaimers:

This show is recorded live to tape. It means some more pauses and repeated thoughts than you might be used to, but it also means that anything can happen.

This show contains spoilers. We try to warn ahead of time, but if you haven’t seen Batman yet, I’m not sure what you want us to tell you.

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2014/06/29/episode-21-bruce-wayne-millionaire-playboy-sexual-predator/feed/0It’s the 25th anniversary of the release of Batman in theaters, so this week, Amanda and I talk about what it was like being a geek in the years and months leading up to the flick… and whether it holds up now (Hint: in 1989, Batman was a terrible,It’s the 25th anniversary of the release of Batman in theaters, so this week, Amanda and I talk about what it was like being a geek in the years and months leading up to the flick… and whether it holds up now (Hint: in 1989, Batman was a terrible, terrible pervert). We also talk about: […]Crisis On Infinite Midlivesyes1:39:2110671Episode 20: Ally McBealing Around The Cityhttp://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2014/06/22/episode-20-ally-mcbealing-around-the-city/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2014/06/22/episode-20-ally-mcbealing-around-the-city/#respondMon, 23 Jun 2014 01:46:04 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=10668In this week’s episode, Amanda and I discuss:

DC Entertainment’s / Warner Bros.’s rumored slate of movie released, from Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice in 2016 to a rumored new Batman movie in 2019, whether DC is overextending, which ones we’re most looking forward to, how Sandman could work as a movie, and who should play Shazam,

The recently announced Quentin Tarantino / Matt Wagner crossover of Django Unchained and Zorro, why we’re not as excited as we might have been 15 years ago, and what Django crossovers we’d rather see,

Sex Criminals #6, written by Matt Fraction with art by Chip Zdarsky,

Thunderbolts #27, written by Ben Acker and Ben Blacker, with art by Carlo Barberi, and:

How World Cup soccer is enough to put an American – even a baseball-loving American – right to sleep.

But some disclaimers:

This show is recorded live to tape, like a live radio show. While this might mean some dead air and dead ends, it also means that anything can happen.

This show contains spoilers. We try to drop a warning ahead of time, but tread lightly.

This show contains profanity and adult language, and is not safe for work. If it was translated into sign language, it would be only a middle finger. Wear headphones.

Enjoy the show, suckers!

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2014/06/22/episode-20-ally-mcbealing-around-the-city/feed/0In this week’s episode, Amanda and I discuss: DC Entertainment’s / Warner Bros.’s rumored slate of movie released, from Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice in 2016 to a rumored new Batman movie in 2019, whether DC is overextending,In this week’s episode, Amanda and I discuss: DC Entertainment’s / Warner Bros.’s rumored slate of movie released, from Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice in 2016 to a rumored new Batman movie in 2019, whether DC is overextending, which ones we’re most looking forward to, how Sandman could work as a movie, and who […]Crisis On Infinite Midlivesyes1:26:3310668Second Movie Twist: Rian Johnson To Write, DIrect Star Wars: Episode VIIIhttp://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2014/06/21/second-movie-twist-rian-johnson-to-write-direct-star-wars-episode-viii/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2014/06/21/second-movie-twist-rian-johnson-to-write-direct-star-wars-episode-viii/#respondSat, 21 Jun 2014 14:39:48 +0000http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/?p=10665So given how generally excited fandom has been that J. J. Abrams was chosen to take over Star Wars from George Lucas for Episode VII, the consensus that, given Abrams’s work on Star Trek and Star Trek Into Darkness, he was the best possible choice to work on the franchise, and that Abrams has said that directing Star Wars was a dream gig, it’s probably safe to say that he’ll be helming the movies well beyond Episode VII, right?

Rian Johnson will write and direct the eighth “Star Wars” movie, inheriting the franchise from J.J. Abrams, according to two individuals with knowledge of the director’s plans. Johnson will also write the treatment for the ninth movie, but he will not direct it.

Huh. Okay, that was fast.

Normally, I’d take these Hollywood trade / gossip journal stories with a grain of salt until the primary players actually comment on them, but considering Johnson just Tweeted this…

…it’s probably safe to say that this is a go.

When it comes to science fiction, Johnson’s best known for Looper, the time travel flick with Bruce Willis and Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and when I say “best known” I of course mean, “only known.” And frankly, Looper was only okay. However, Johnson’s first movie, Brick, while not being science fiction, is fucking awesome. It’s a high school drama played like a Raymond Chandler novel, with a real wit to the plot and the dialogue, and if you haven’t seen it, you can watch it for free on Comcast / XFinity On Demand right not. Go ahead, I’ll wait. You’ll thank me later.

But even if you haven’t seen Brick, Johnson has also done some TV directing in between movies. He did an episode of Terriers, and one or two episodes of a little cable show you’ve probably never heard of. One of them was about a bug, and the other was just some pulpy little crime payoff story.

]]>http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2014/06/21/second-movie-twist-rian-johnson-to-write-direct-star-wars-episode-viii/feed/010665You Just Want To Suck The Joy Out Of Everything: UK Guardians of The Galaxy Trailer Features All New Footagehttp://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2014/06/17/you-just-want-to-suck-the-joy-out-of-everything-uk-guardians-of-the-galaxy-trailer-features-all-new-footage/
http://www.crisisoninfinitemidlives.com/2014/06/17/you-just-want-to-suck-the-joy-out-of-everything-uk-guardians-of-the-galaxy-trailer-features-all-new-footage/#respondWed, 18 Jun 2014 01:27:25 +0000